Kabala

Magic spells lend a helping hand in this debut feature about a young man's troubled relationship with his native village in Mali. Because of ancient prejudices, Hamalla was banished. He returns four years later versed in modern technology at a time the village's future is precarious because the holy well of the ancestors, symbol of the spirituality of the entire community, is contaminated. In the face of epidemic, the villagers resist all of Hamalla's attempts to convince them of the need to purify the water. Assane Kouyaté's poetic vision cleverly bridges the film's themes of the necessity of accepting technology, while at the same time leaves no doubt of the power of traditional ways. (official distributor synopsis)