It’s not often that my ignorance pays dividends like this, having known of this film by name only, I was sitting down to a cinema experience with all the gleeful anticipation as you’d expect getting a passive aggressive beat down with a rain soaked copy of The Guardian.

Then it began: Director Abderrahmane Sissako throws us straight in with an allegorical scene of a Gazele being hunted down with it’s predator’s mantra “Don’t kill it, tire it.” Before the “liberators” taking pot shot target practise on the town’s statues and artwork. Taking in the various stories from a recently “liberated” town living under Jihadist regime and the townsfolk’ attempts at maintaining a peaceful dignity as new laws are passed through, banning cigarettes, music, football amongst other things.

One of the main “storylines” begins with the catalyst being a killing of a cow called “GPS” and, well you have to see it really. Harrowing at times but with a gentle strain of humour lacing throughout, it’s a beautiful piece of work, different characters speaking French, Arabian and English but it’s the gorgeous cinematography working as universal translator here. Concerning itself with modern life, modern problems and the prices we pay along the way.

A beautiful example of pure, raw storytelling. Really can’t recommend this one highly enough.

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