Kabala

Magic spells lend a helping hand in this debut feature about a young man's troubled relationship with his native village in Mali. Having been banished from his village due to ancient prejudices, Hamalla returns four years later at a precarious time for the village's future. Now versed in modern technology, Hamalla must convince the village of the need to purify the water from the contaminated 'holy well of the ancestors' as they face an epidemic. Assane Kouyat's poetic vision cleverly bridges the film's themes of the necessity of accepting technology, while at the same time leaves no doubt of the power of traditional ways.