| 8:10 p.m. | Life on Earth Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania/France, 1998) |
“Dear Father . . . An important change brings me back—the desire to film life in Sokolo, life on Earth . . . knowing that soon it will be the year 2000 and that nothing will have changed for the better.” Thus begins Sissako’s Life on Earth, a part-autobiographical, part-fictional, and largely improvised film about everyday life in Mali. Composed in long, lingering shots, the film speaks of brief moments and encounters, but also of waiting and missed connections. Working with a small crew and no script, Sissako lovingly invites the viewer to gaze into Africa’s mercurial present and unpredictable future.
—Kathy Geritz
• Written by Sissako. Photographed by Jacques Besse. With Sissako, Nana Baby, Mahamadou Dramé, Mohamed Sissako. (61 mins, In French with English subtitles, 35mm, From Wellspring Media)
Preceded by:
Rostov-Luanda
Abderrahmane Sissako (Angola/Mauritania, 1997)
Armed only with memories and a faded photograph, Sissako attempts to track down an Angolan freedom fighter he met while studying in Russia. This travelogue is more than a journey through the restless presents of Angola, Mauritania, and Europe; it is a voyage through the states of exile through which Sissako, and countless like him, have passed.—Jason Sanders
• (58 mins, In Portuguese with English subtitles, Beta SP, From the artist)
• (Total running time: 119 mins, Color)
