DAMBÉ – THE MALI PROJECT
Ireland 2008 94Mins DVD Colour
Feature Documentary
This is the musical story of two talented Irish musicians Liam O’Maonlaí (The Hothouse Flowers) and Paddy Keenan (The Bothy Band) who cover thousands of miles of stunning yet arduous terrain from Bamako in the south to the mysterious ancient city of Timbuktu and on into the Sahara desert. The film captures Mali and West Africa in all its magic and beauty, celebrating culture and the power of music.
We learn that music is an essential form of communication and education for a country where illiteracy is rife. Mali is considered the home of all string instruments and the original source of the Blues. We watch Paddy and Liam as they play their music with Malian musicians and as it fuses beyond anyone’s expectations. One of the themes of this film is to subtly highlight the many similarities between Malian and Irish music.
This documentary is about sharing culture and aims to promote Mali as a country full of life, while highlighting some of the social issues Malian people face. It helps to dispel the myth that Africa is a dark, depressed continent. This film shows us the contrary, that Mali and Africa are full of hope, colour and an abundance of social and cultural history.
The director will attend; questions and answers will follow the screening.
Director Dearbhla Glynn