Director: Manthia Diawara
Production: Lydie Diakhaté,
K’a Yéléma Productions
Editing: France Langlois
Camera: Arthur Jafa
Sound: Magatta Salla
Country: Mali, USA
Year: 2002
Runtime: 76’
Colour, sound
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English

With Jules Allen, Malick Sidibé, Ali Farka Touré, Aminata Traoré.

Set in Bamako, the capital of Mali, this unconventional documentary tells the story of the return of the director to his hometown to explore how his childhood friends are coping with globalisation. Full of nostalgia, he has also brought along a friend, African American photographer Jules Allen, for whom he takes on the role of tour guide. Together, they are confronted with the city’s everyday reality and the changes brought on by so-called ‘structural adjustment’ and other World Bank policies. Diawara is surprised to find that his childhood buddies have different, often contradictory views on globalisation compared to his own. The documentary offers a new perspective of the modern African city and discusses how democracy takes root in Mali.