Motherland
2015, 30 minutes
Motherland
Moussa, a young Malian man who has narrowly escaped the military conflict in his country, pays a seemingly random late night visit to Julian, a bookshop owner in England who used to live in Mali. The two reminisce about Moussa's "Motherland", its beauty, music and culture but also lament the recent coup and violent independence movement that has given rise to Jihadists imposing harsh Sharia law all over the North Western regions. TV and Radio stations have been shut down. Music has been outlawed. Dissenters have been punished with public floggings and mutilations and many prominent musicians, including Ramata, whom Julian once knew, have inexplicably 'disappeared'. It's a mysterious encounter that we soon learn is far from accidental. Moussa has come for a reason and reveals a troubling secret he hopes will hold Julian accountable and force him to take action. But Julian has a secret of his own. And as the night progresses and they uncover uneasy truths about each others' difficult pasts and cultures, breaking news of an even worse tragedy unfolds before their very eyes.