They Will Have to Kill Us First

Music is ingrained in Malian culture, with the likes of Amadou & Mariam, Ali Farka Touré and Tinariwen among the names more familiar to western audiences. However, that artistic tradition was threatened in 2012 when the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country paved the way for a takeover by jihadists, who imposed an immediate ban on music. Director Johanna Schwartz's film follows a handful of performers who were among the hundreds of thousands to flee the region to seek exile in the south of the country and in neighbouring states. For desert rockers Songhoy Blues, the journey is a fortuitous one, as they are talent-spotted by Damon Albarn's Africa Express project, get to record an album and are invited to tour the UK. But it's the bravery of veteran female stars Khaira Arby and Disco that resonates the most, as they return to their Timbuktu home to offer hope to those who endured life under the Islamist's oppressive Sharia law. The message here is clear: music can offer hope where there is none, and its universal appeal can cross borders. But Schwartz also expertly captures the sights, sounds and general bustle of Mali, imbuing her sometimes harrowing film with warmth, intimacy and vitality.