Bamako

In a courtyard in Mali’s capital Bamako, a temporary court has been set up. On trial is the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and globalisation itself. Over the course of the film a host of witnesses from eminent lawyers to impoverished villagers stand up to give testimony, while on the fringes of the court we get glimpses of ramshackle, everyday routine. Occasionally we cut to a bizarre African Western starring Danny Glover, symbol of an ever-encroaching Hollywood which threatens to swallow up indigenous culture. Central to Bamako, though, is a powerful faith in people’s ability to make sense of their own world through story and song.

This screening will be introduced by a representative from Christian Aid or Q-News.