Evidence
How does the court in the film present evidence?
How does this compare with other representations of courtroom justice/procedure that you may be familiar with? Think in particular about how tension is generated in examples you may have seen and how it compares to Bamako? What is the typical function of this kind of scene? Is this the same in Bamako?
[Teachers may find it helpful to contrast the closing arguments in Bamako with courtroom sequences from the following: 12 Angry Men (Lumet, 1957), Philadelphia (Demme, 1993), Legal Eagles (Reitman, 1986), Moonlight Mile (Silberling, 2002)]
Evidence in context
Below, look at the views of many development organisations.
No voice at the table:
Developing countries almost never have the opportunity to have their voices heard – and acted upon. Therefore the metaphor of a trial enables this 'voice' to be heard on an equal footing with its adversaries.
Debt relief:
Many argue that Africa has more than repaid its debts and that if you look back in history, the rich world owes far more to the poor world. They also believe that it is immoral to take money for debt repayments while poor nations cannot afford to provide basic healthcare or education for its people.
Mandates:
The IMF and World Bank clam that their aim is to assist poor countries to develop. The past 25 years have seen their policies reduce growth in Africa – poverty has grown, not lessened. Debt relief agreements are also often tied to certain economic conditions (for a definition of economic conditions, please see the Glossary).
Democracy for the rich, not the poor:
In arenas like the IMF, World BANK and WTO there should be open and democratic debate, one vote one voice. Instead, poor countries are penalised as the voting systems and decision-making processes marginalise their voices and therefore they are left to deal with the consequences, not able to influence the very decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.
Therefore, as well as serving as a metaphor in other ways, this court trial could also be seen as offering a fictional attempt to redress this kind of imbalance at these major global institutions.
