Event

Bamako

A film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako about a tribunal between ordinary Africans and representatives of international financial institutions on Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 7-9pm at Lightbox Film Center.

Slought and the SP2 Social Justice and Arts Integration Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania are pleased to announce a special screening of Bamako (2006), a narrative film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. This event is presented in in collaboration with Louverture Films and in partnership with the Center for Africana Studies, and Cinema & Media Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania.This event is free and open to the public, however registration is requested.

Bamako centers around a tribunal between ordinary Africans and the representatives of the international financial institutions that supposedly exist to eradicate poverty. It is a courtroom drama set in the traditional courtyard of an African home. It revolves around an unlikely cast of characters: the plaintiffs are the people of Africa; the defendants, charged with worsening the economic plight of the continent, are the World Bank and the IMF. To staff the tribunal in Bamako, Sissako sought out real judges and lawyers, whom he armed with extensive research material. He also assembled a cross section of witnesses, from childhood friends to a former minister of culture, all appearing as themselves. Once the cameras were rolling, he allowed the improvised arguments to unfold without interruption.