Bamako

2007 1h 55m FR

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 48

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Caught in the stranglehold of debt and structural adjustment, Africa is fighting for its survival. In the face of disaster, representatives of African society bring an action against international financial institutions. The trial takes place in Bamako, in the yard of a house, among its inhabitants.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Aïssa Maïga
Melé
Tiécoura Traoré
Chaka
Maimouna Hélène Diarra
Saramba
Balla Habib Dembélé
Falaï
Djénéba Koné
La soeur de Chaka
Hamadoun Kassogué
Le journaliste
William Bourdon
Avocat partie civile
Aïssata Tall Sall
Avocat des parties civiles

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
Writers: Abderrahmane Sissako
Languages: Hebrew, French, Bambara, English
Countries: France, Mali, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Hebrew, French, Bambara, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Mali, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, shot by Jacques Besse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pauline Casalis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Aïssa Maïga and Tiécoura Traoré and Maimouna Hélène Diarra carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Abderrahmane Sissako directs. Jacques Besse behind the camera. Pauline Casalis cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Mali, United States of America. Dialogue in Hebrew, French, Bambara, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 19 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Hebrew, French, Bambara, English.
5International production across 3 countries: France, Mali, United States of America.
6Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, shot by Jacques Besse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Pauline Casalis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Aïssa Maïga and Tiécoura Traoré and Maimouna Hélène Diarra carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0814666 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jacques Besse
Editing: Pauline Casalis
Production design: Mahamadou Kouyaté
Costume design: Maji-da Abdi
Makeup / hair: Batoma Kouyaté
Runtime: 115 min · 1h 55m
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $111,000
Return: 6% of budget
Original language: FR
IMDB: Bamako (2007)

Also by

Abderrahmane Sissako

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-05-21
★ 7/10
There's a bit of a sub-plot going on here between singer "Melé" (Aïssa Maiga) and her husband "Chaka" (Tiécoura Traoré) but the main thrust of this - interestingly carried out entirely in French - is a makeshift court hearing in their backyard in which an attempt is being made to hold to account some of the international agencies whom many believe are continuing to bleed Africa dry. In some nations, like Mali and Cameroon, almost 40% of their GDP is being paid in debt interest against a mere ten percent of that sum being spent on essential social and healthcare provision. This is a properly constituted entity, with a red-robed judge presiding over counsel for and against the arguments, and at times these discussions are compelling to listen to. It does generalise a little too much though and there are some fairly basic issues that it fails to address, not least because it really only relates to problems emanating from what was French colonial Africa, and it does tend to treat the entire continent as if the problems were consistent across the board which obviously they are not. It also avoids any sort of recognition of the post-independent warlording and corruption that ensued amongst those who inherited the mess from the departing Europeans and saw that as an opportunity to feather their own nests - and settle old grudges too. It quite vibrantly adopts the French courtroom trait of lawyers making speeches and statements rather than probing the witnesses, and it also shows up nicely their professional abilities to shroud the whole debate in a mystery of legal semantics that therefore thwart any chance of progress. When one woman produces a letter that appears to support her argument, the fact that she received it by mistake and sent it to the press seems more important than what it actually said. This story emphasizes quite effectively that at the end of the day it is the rule of law that can often be relied upon to serve the best interests of those with the most to gain - or preserve - at the expense of the vulnerable it is ostensibly there to protect. At times there is a little too much ranting from the dialogue, but there is even a mini-western in the middle with Danny Glover to, presumably, further illustrate just how valueless human life could be when considered against the vast riches of their lands. It's quite thought provoking, and though rough around the edges, is well worth a watch.

Production companies