“Mali’s best export is its music.” — Tom Freston, former MTV president, 2007

FILM SYNOPSIS

Although in 2010 Mali remains one of poorest countries in the world, the West African nation is also a stable, Islamic democracy where different ethnic and religious groups-- as well as men and women-- live together in relative harmony and equality. In addition to its strong democratic institutions, Mali is home to some of the most revered music in the world. Its musical identity and strong creative traditions are in part what make Mali such a vibrant nation, and are core themes we intend to capture in this documentary film.

Every year in Essakane, Mali a music festival that serves to sustain peace and resolve regional conflict, rocks the socks off an audience of 6,000 people for three days straight. From Robert Plant to Jimmy Buffett, musicians from around the world have journeyed through the mystical terrain of the Sahara to jam with Malian, Tuareg, and West African musicians at the Festival au Désert.

Essakane Film is a feature length film that brings to the big screen the blues, rock and soul that harkens festival-goers from around the world to this remotest of destinations. In addition, the film will explore the sights and sounds of a world inhabited by Tuareg men and women – nomads from the Sahara who have intermittently rebelled against the Malian government, but who have increasingly found a seat at the country’s democratic table. Today, Tuaregs and Malians play side by side at the Festival au Désert as one way to reaffirm this fragile peace. By the end of the film, we hope to inspire travel and tourism to the region while celebrating the power of music in sustaining peace and a democratic civil society.

The main characters in the film will include Malian musicians participating in the festival including established acts, up-and-coming artists, and former rebels turned musicians. The film will also include interviews with Malian state officials, including the president, the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Tourism, Malian citizens, and festival-goers to create a picture of this model country.

The film is currently in pre-production and development. In January of 2011 the filmmakers will travel to Essakane to film the Festival au Désert and conduct interviews with many of the film’s characters. The intended release of the film is January of 2012.