Music is the beating heart of Malian culture, but when Islamic jihadists took control of northern Mali in 2012, they enforced one of the harshest interpretations of sharia law by banning all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned, and Mali’s musicians faced torture, even death. Overnight, the country’s revered musicians were forced into hiding or exile, where most remain — even now. But rather than laying down their instruments, these courageous artists fought back, standing up for their freedoms and using music as a weapon against the ongoing violence that has ravaged their homeland. They Will Have To Kill Us First, director Schwartz’s debut feature, follows the group Songhoy Blues and musicians Kharia Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar, and Moussa Sidi as they each deal with the unfathomable situation in different ways. Telling the story of the uprising of Touareg separatists, revealing footage of the jihadists, and capturing life at refugee camps where both money and hope are scarce, Schwartz and her indefatigable, mainly female, crew chart the perilous journeys to war-ravaged cities, as some of Mali’s most talented musicians set up and perform at the first public concert in Timbuktu since the music ban. Indiewire shared the first five minutes of the documentary, watch here. Co-written by Schwartz and Andy Morgan, renowned journalist and former manager of Grammy® Award winning band Tinariwen, They Will Have To Kill Us First is produced by Sarah Mosses of Together Films and executive produced by Andre Singer (The Act of Killing) alongside Stephen Hendel, Victoria Steventon, OKAY Africa and Knitting Factory Entertainment. After witnessing the atrocities perpetrated against the musicians of Mali, the filmmakers have launched several initiatives in support of freedom of expression. The Music in Exile Fund will contribute towards the international organization Index on Censorship’s “Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship,” which is a year-long structured assistance program to support those facing censorship. The fund will support at least one musician or group nominated in the arts category of the awards. The fund provides training and support to musicians on the African continent who have found themselves targeted, censored, attacked, or threatened. Whether simply providing bus fare to get a visa for a gig abroad, guitar amps so that exiled musicians in refugee camps can hold a concert, or security so that musicians can perform without fear, The Music in Exile Fund seeks to make a difference in the lives of oppressed artists wherever they may be. The fund will also help support Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards, being held this April 13 in London.
