Dancing the Twist in Bamako (2021)

Put on screen this year by the merited director Robert Guédiguian, this historical and dramatic film lasting 129 minutes opens the eye to a lot of aspects of what Malian society was like just after the country's independence whilst letting us discover Mali's vibrant culture of yéyé music and twist dancing. Samba (played by Stéphane Bak) was travelling all over Mali with the aim of convincing people to embrace socialism. He meets a girl from a village called Lara (played by Alice Da Luz) dancing the twist in a vibrant nightclub. The film reflects their forbidden yet passionately beautiful love story. After realizing that his lover was forced to marry against her will, Samba fled with Lara to the city of Bamako where he fights even harder for his idea of freedom and healing for his country. However Lara's husband is determined to find her and several problems are on the horizon.