They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile

There are so many facets to this rich film that I don't dare highlight just one--the history, the cultural inquiry, the profiles of courageous people, the clothing, the food, the landscape, and of course most of all the music. You hear a wide range of Malian music, from folk to rock, all sharing certain chords and basic syncopated rhythms. The cuts are very fast-moving and leave you with a dreamlike impression of the events. Urban scenes seem to go especially fast. Getting the DVD is valuable because the director (whom I know) fills in some of the background that could not become part of the movie: where people came from, how and why certain shots were taken, the meaning of some mysterious goings-on, and how the movie fits together. (As the director says at one point, she could have shown a whole two-hour interview with one band and it would have been interesting.) The DVD also has an extra studio scene.

i like documentaries and this one quite interesting. People were fasinating ans music good.

Great video

I loved this documentary. Eye-opening look at oppressive cultures that threatens the livelihood of people wanting to play music.

I absolutely loved watching this film! 5 stars!

A decent documentary film---certainly not one of my favorite films. It is sketchy with decent cinematography. It has won many awards.

Not a bad inside look into the world of musicians in war-torn countries, but their story could have been told in more clarity.

not enough musi c