Watching: Dolce Vita Africana

Overview

A documentary portrait of the African photographer Malick Sidibe, and a journey through Malian history inspired by his iconic images. Sidibe's snapshots from the late 50s through to the early 70s capture the carefree spirit of a youth asserting their freedom from colonialism in the early days of Malian independence - until a coup ushered in decades of austere military dictatorship. So this is a film not only about art, but also about a culture reflected through a camera lens, in a country that today is one of the poorest in the world.