Abderrahmane Sissako makes no pretence at neutrality with this indictment of globalised capitalism. Indeed, while he has an advocate eloquently decry conspiracy theories about the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund’s masterminding of the exploitation of Africa, Sissako undermines his arguments by depicting him as a ludicrous figure outside the temporary courtroom set up in the yard of an everyday Malian dwelling.
Yet this isn’t just a political polemic. Life goes on around the proceedings, as singer Aïssa Maïga drifts apart from her unemployed husband, and neighbours crowd in to watch a pastiche TV Western starring Danny Glover.