They Will Have to Kill Us First
(Johanna Schwartz, UK 2015, 99 min., DCP, French/Songhay/Bambara/Tamashek w/ subtitles)
12 Notes on Film: Desert Blues | Rochester Premiere. Following the 2012 conflict in northern Mali, the Jihadist takeover, and subsequent banning of music under one of the strictest interpretations of Sharia law in recorded history, They Will Have to Kill Us First is a powerful documentary on the centrality of music to Malian communication and cultural identity. Director Johanna Schwartz skillfully outlines the politics behind the Jihadist invasion and its ramifications, weaving a historical timeline with the personal accounts of those whose lives were upended when musicians were exiled, tortured and murdered, radio stations were forcibly closed and instruments destroyed. Rare footage of Jihadists and refugee camps is interspersed with portraits of exiled musicians Khaira Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Ouma, and the band Songhoy Blues, who gain international acclaim and are signed to a record label. Then, with bated breath, a newly liberated Mali celebrates Timbuktu’s first public concert since the music ban.
“Essential viewing for comprehending the power of music—as a political tool, as a form of communication, and as a basic human right.” – Dazed
Organized in collaboration with Bop Shop Records and Baobab Cultural Center.