Timbuktu (2014 film)

Timbuktu is a 2014 FrenchMauritanian drama film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. It was selected to compete for the Palme dOr in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Franois Chalais Prize. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

The city of Timbuktu is under the occupation of Islamists bearing a jihadist black flag. Kidane is a cattle herder who lives outside of the city. One day, one of his cows accidentally damages the net of a fisherman. The enraged fisherman kills the cow. Kidane confronts the fisherman and accidentally shoots him dead. The Islamists arrest Kidane and, per sharia law, demand a blood money payment ofcattle to the fishermans family. As Kidane has only seven cattle, he is sentenced to death. His wife shows up at his execution with a pistol, and as they run to each other the husband attempts to stop her. Mistaking this for an escape attempt, the executioners gun them both down.Throughout the film there are subsidiary scenes showing the reaction of the population to Islamists rule, which they view as absurd. A female fishmonger must wear gloves even when selling fish. Music is banned a woman is sentenced tolashes for singing, andlashes for being in the same room as a man not of her family. A couple is buried up to their necks in sand and stoned to death for adultery. Young men play football with an imaginary ball as sports are banned. A local imam tries to curb the Islamists excesses with sermons. ........

Source: Wikipedia