MALIBLUES A film by Lutz Gregor PRESS KIT p MALI BLUES 2 03 General Information & Press 04 Credits 05 Logline & Short Summary 06 Long Summary 07 Press Release 09 Lutz Gregor – Script & Director 10 Christian Beetz – Producer & CEO Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion 11 Protagonists 15 Music in Mali, and its political background GENERAL INFORMATION 3 A production by gebrueder beetz filmproduktion In coproduction with ZDF In association with ARTE Funded by Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FFA, DFFF, MEDIA Programm der europäischen Union Documentary, 93 Min, HD PRODUCTION COMPANY GERMAN DISTRIBUTOR PRESS gebrueder beetz filmproduktion Real Fiction Filmverleih Lea-Marie Körner Neue Weyerstraße 9 Hansaring 98 [email protected] 50676 Köln 50670 Köln +49 30 695 669 13 [email protected] Tel. +49 221 952 21 11 www.gebrueder-beetz.de [email protected] www.realfictionfilme.de CREDITS 4 Director Lutz Gregor Director of Photography Axel Schneppat Editor Markus CM Schmidt, Michelle Barbin Sound Pascal Capitolin Live-Sound Karsten Höfer Sound Design Daniel Piechotka Sound Mix Jörg Höhne Production Assistance Bärbel Mauch, Mory Touré Additional cinematographers Dieter Stürmer, Konrad Waldmann, Abdellah Coulibaly, Mohamed Lamine Touré, Bakary Sangaré Line Producer Kathrin Isberner Production Manager Anique Roelfsema, Nick Pastucha Technical Supervisor Philipp Weigold Production accountancy Daniela Schöne, Sandra Zentgraf Production Assistance Céline Deligny, Marianne Kühn Producer Kerstin Meyer-Beetz Junior Producer Lea-Marie Körner Executive Producer Christian Beetz Commissioning Editor ZDF / arte Tobias Cassau LOGLINE & SHORT SUMMARY 5 LOGLINE MALI BLUES tells the story of four female and male musicians from the West African country of Mali, who espouse with their music a tolerant Islam and a country at peace. SHORT SUMMARY The West African country of Mali is considered the The cinematic feature film MALI BLUES tells the story of birthplace of the blues, brought later by abducted slaves four musicians who refuse to accept hatred, suspicion, to America’s cotton fields. For centuries traditional music violence, and a radical interpretation of Islam in their has unified Mali’s society. Yet the music of Mali is in country. That is, neither in Mali nor in any other place in the jeopardy. Radical Islamists introduced sharia law in the world. country’s northern part, prohibiting dance and secular International shooting star Fatoumata Diawara, Ngoni music, destroying instruments, and threatening musicians. virtuoso and traditional griot Bassekou Kouyaté, young Many musicians fear for their lives and flee from the region rap singer Master Soumy, and guitar virtuoso Ahmed Ag around the cities of Timbuktu and Kidal. But the Islamist Kaedi, leader of the Tuareg band Amanar – they all have terror has by now expanded to other parts of Mali as well. one thing in common: their music unites, comforts, and The UN war effort is being further increased; the German heals, and it lends the people the vigor to bring about Bundeswehr army has been operating there, too, for the change and a mutual future in peace. past three years. LONG SUMMARY 6 LONG SUMMARY MALI BLUES tells the story of four musicians from the exceptional musicians who, with their music, fight for a West African country of Mali, who, with their music, fight new awakening in Africa. for a tolerant Islam and a country at peace. Mali is one of Fatoumata Diawara – AfroPop’s shooting star, who tells in the world’s poorest countries. In musical terms, however, her singer/songwriter ballads of life as an African woman, it is richer than most any other country. AfroPop stars like and of obsolete tradition. Ali Farka Touré, Salif Keita, and Oumou Sangaré originate Bassekou Kouyaté – the griot and Grammy-nominated from the region between Timbuktu and Bamako in Mali, world musician integrates traditional African instruments the birthplace of both jazz and blues. Yet the music of Mali into modern rock music. is in jeopardy. Radical Islamists introduced sharia law in Ahmed Ag Kaedi – his rough and rocking Tuareg guitar the country’s northern part, prohibiting dance and secular riffs tell of a longing for the desert. music, destroying instruments, and threatening musicians. Master Soumy – the rap singer, voice of Mali’s young Mali’s lifeline is hard hit. Many musicians are muted, have generation, whom corrupt politicians listen to alike. to go into exile, or flee to the capital Bamako. But the Islamist terror has by now expanded to other parts of Mali They all have one thing in common: their music unites as well. The UN war effort is being further increased; the and lends the people the vigor to bring about change and German Bundeswehr army is operating there, too. Mali’s a peaceful mutual future. MALI BLUES is a music film; musicians fight with their instruments, and their voices, for African hip-hop meets the spirit of Jimmy Hendrix, desert peace and reconciliation, for a tolerant Islam and societal blues meets danceable AfroRock. It is a film about the change in their home country. unifying force of music, rendering, in our times of horror news, a positive image of Africa and her people. With subtle sounds and poetic images, though occasionally at full volume, MALI BLUES portraits four PRESS RELEASE 7 Mali, situated in the heart of West Africa, is considered her home country. Now she plans for her very first concert the cradle of blues and jazz. Slaves brought their native in Mali. rhythms and sounds to the cotton fields of North America. In Mali, music is a part of the country’s cultural identity to For ten months, northern Mali was under the control of this day. Musicians enjoy a high status in society. With Islamist radicals. The jehadists had occupied the desert Fatoumata Diawara, shooting star on the global pop music cities of Gao, Kidal, and Timbuktu, and were making every scene, we embark on a musical voyage aboard MALI effort to destroy the nation’s culture. Antique structures BLUES. We investigate the country’s rich musical culture were destroyed, and sharia law, banning music as well, and learn how it is being threatened by Islamists. In the was imposed. Musicians were tortured and threatened course, we meet committed musicians who dedicate their with death. Many fled to the country’s south, towards music to peace and religious freedom in Mali. Bamako. French units and UN peacekeepers came to the aid of the Mali government and started pushing back As a young girl, singer and songwriter Fatoumata Diawara the Islamists. In the meantime, though, Islamist terror had fled from Mali to escape a pre-arranged marriage. “I left expanded to other parts of Mali also; even Bamako time to be able to write down my own story,” she says today. and again falls victim to violent attacks. The UN war effort “Even though I knew it would be difficult for a black is being further increased; the German Bundeswehr army woman like me, who split without her parents’ consent. has been operating there, too, for the past three years. Fighting this pain strongly influenced me and my music.” Abroad, Fatoumata Diawara made it big as a singer; she Tuareg musician Ahmed Ag Kaedi fled from Islamist terror even appeared in the highly awarded film “Timbuktu” by in his hometown, in Mali’s northern desert. Now he lives in Abderrahmane Sissako, which was featured at the Cannes Bamako and fights loneliness 1,500 kilometers away from film festival. When northern Mali was overrun by radical his family and the desert. Islamists, she decided to become active again on behalf of In his music he processes the longing for a life taken from PRESS RELEASE 8 him by the jehadists. Ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyaté Fatoumata Diawara, Ahmed Ag Kaedi, Master Soumy, and and rapper Master Soumy, too, deal in their music with the Bassekou Kouyaté – however different their songs may continuing political and religious conflict in northern Mali. be, they have one thing in common: their music is stirring, Both take a stand for a united and peaceful Mali, and for a it moves and connects people, it comforts and heals - and tolerant religion. “We musicians have voices stronger than it lends them the power to fight radical Islam, fight for a weapons,” Bassekou Kouyaté is convinced. change in their country, and for a peaceful future marked by tolerance. Her first public concert in her home country Mali is not only a political necessity for Fatoumata Diawara, but also a personal desire. “When I learned that music is prohibited in Mali, my world stopped turning. We musicians are sick, in a way we’re all psychopaths. We need music to survive. It heals our pain.” LUTZ GREGOR – SCRIPT & DIRECTOR 9 Lutz Gregor has been working as a freelance filmmaker FILMOGRAFIE (SELECTION) since 1983. In his work he is particularly interested in the link between society, music and dance and combines “Mali Blues”, 2016 52, 90 min., gebrueder beetz documentary and artistic techniques. Thus he has created filmproduktion, ZDF/ ARTE numerous films ranging from international documentaries about people and social, cultural or historical issues “Zanzibar’s first Women Orchestra”, 2015 52 min. to dance films. He teaches at media, dance and art Medienkontor, ARTE schools, especially ‘Physical Cinema Workshops’. KÖNIGSKINDER (2001, funded by Filmbüro NRW) “Timbuktu’s lost Heritage”, 2009 52 min. Gruppe 5, ARTE was shown at the 2002 Max Ophüls Festival, among other venues, and won an award at the 2003 Festival “The King’s Children”, 2001 fictional dance film, 70 min., International du Film Indépendant in Brussels for its Contact Film, Filmfund NRW Choreographie: Juan Kruz ‘new cinematographic language’. ‘Frankfurt Dance Cuts’ Diaz de Garaio Esnaola (ARTE 2004), four short films with dancers from William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt was screened in October 2005 “Kontakt Triptychon”, 1992 dance documentary, 30 min.