Imagine waking up and finding out music has been banned. This is what happened to the characters in They Will Have to Kill us First. In Mali, music is a way of life, a prime communication tool and when you hear the music you understand why Mali is renowned as the birthplace of the Blues, and therefore, Rock ‘n Roll. Faced with being stripped of their freedom, the musicians decide to fight back in any way they know how. This film follows their journeys – personal, political and downright heroic – to bring music back to their country.
2017 /
Finalist
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE
Director & Producer: Johanna Schwartz,
Johanna Schwartz, Sarah Mosses, John Schwartz and Kat Amara Korba
12-year-old Tatheer embarks on a week-long Police boot camp for girls from a social housing estate in Copenhagen. Far from home, deep in the woods, she navigates grueling rituals, elusive social dynamics, and personal setbacks to find her place in this tender and revealing coming-of-age story.
2015 |
100 min
Mali | Burkina Faso | West Africa | UK
Languages: French | Tamashek | Bambera | English
AWARD:
Special Mention
Type:
Doc Feature
Themes:
Conflict & Resolution, Creative Activism, Human Rights, Uprising
Links:
