Music is Truth

And the truth will set you free

It may be visible every day for most, but those who would dare question the power of music need look no further than filmmaker Johanna Schwartz' triumphant 2015 documentary, They Will Have to Kill Us First. Set in the aftermath of a 2012 revolution spearheaded by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), alongside Islamic jihadi extremists, the film examines the crushing realities of a country beset by harsh Shariah law and the subsequent banning of music, both live and recorded, in the northern areas of Mali. Schwartz follows musicians as they navigate exile, homesickness and the continuation of their craft which, by all accounts, was/is as essential to Mali's social fabric as anything else imaginable.

Through candid interviews with singers like Khaira Arby or bands like Songhoy Blues (recently made popular through Damon Albarn's Africa Express project), live performances and melancholy tales related, we begin to learn that music was an interwoven necessity in terms of education, social exchange and cultural heritage. While the particulars of the MNLA uprising become lost in the shuffle and the brief glimpses into the lives of musicians each seem to cut to the next before we have a true sense for their plight on an individual level, the stories we learn of their journeys thus far are tragic and powerfully moving. If ever there were an argument for music's staggering ability to connect across borders or to stand up against oppression and evil, it's found within this gorgeously shot film. Mixing both harrowing footage of real-life street warfare with behind-the-scenes looks into recording sessions or live shows, They Will Have to Kill Us First presents an overall picture of a reality unthinkable to most of us. Some moments do err toward the emotionally manipulative, but that can ultimately be forgiven, as the film does show the everyday life of misplaced Malians who must navigate outdated and hypocritical religious beliefs for something as simple as the creation of the most universally and arguably important artform on the planet. And though one might wish they'd been given more information on the artists overall, it's an important documentary and one that serves as a tremendous opportunity to learn about the inestimably positive elements of music. 

They Will Have to Kill Us First
The Screen,
NR,
105 min.

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