Rent Bamako (2006)

Justice in the Courtyard, Cowboys at the Gate - Bamako review by griggs

A courtyard in Mali turns into a courtroom, with the World Bank and IMF suddenly in the dock. It sounds odd, and maybe it is, but that’s part of the appeal. While witnesses give heavy speeches about debt and injustice, life carries on around them—kids messing about, neighbours arguing, women dyeing fabric. It’s a clever setup, though you can’t help thinking it might work even better on stage, where the mix of testimony and daily life would feel more natural. On screen, though, it still hits hard. The people who speak aren’t actors—they’re ordinary Malians—and that gives the film its real weight. Just when it all risks becoming too serious, Sissako throws in a mad detour with cowboys shooting up the place, a parody that makes its point about exploitation with a grin and a gun. Serious but never dull, Bamako manages to be political without losing sight of the human stories that actually matter.