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The Sahel Calling Project is an interactive, musical project to raise awareness about the refugees, internally-displaced persons and the people living in the conflict-affected areas of the West African country of Mali and the Sahel. The Sahel Calling Project (http://www.sahelcalling.com/) includes a documentary film, events at refugee camps, press conferences, forums for musicians, and a book of short stories from the Sahel.

The documentary film will be focused on the role of musicians in the humanitarian crisis in Mali and the Sahel. The film is being directed by John Bosch (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2257584/bio) and produced by Kathryn Werntz. Filming will follow various West and North African musicians in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. The film will gather the musicians’ perspectives on the current conflict in Mali and is expected to be released in the summer of 2013.

Overview

Due to drought, famine, rebel insurgences, and human rights violations, as of December 2012, there are an estimated 210,000 refugees (http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/sahel/docs/SITUATION%20UPDATE%20Sahel%2017%20Dec%202012%20JT.pdf) who have fled the north of Mali for other countries and 204,000 "internally-displaced persons"(IDPs) (http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/sahel/docs/SITUATION%20UPDATE%20Sahel%2017%20Dec%202012%20JT.pdf) who have fled but remain in Mali. Those still living in the north of Mali are enduring the destruction of cultural and religious landmarks and manuscripts; the closure of markets, hospitals and banks; and the imposition of human rights violations including amputations, public stoning, and the outlawing of music. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-northern-mali-islamists-attacks-against-civilians-grow-more-brutal/2012/12/11/5b74a734-3e46-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story_1.html, http://www.pri.org/stories/arts-entertainment/music/the-music-has-died-in-northern-mali-as-islamic-extremists-exert-control-11247.html)

Mali is home to many world-renowned artists such as Amadou & Mariam, Habib Koite, Oumou Sangare, Vieux Farka Toure, and the Tuareg band Tinariwen. The project and documentary are about the power of music and how musicians, both local and internationally famous, are speaking to address the reported violations of human rights in the north of Mali and the people affected by the food and water shortages in the Sahel. Sahel Calling questions the power of musicians in the current conflict and humanitarian crisis, especially in light of the political, social, ethnic and religious complexities of Mali and the Sahel.

Background

See 2012 Northern Mali conflict (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Northern_Mali_conflict)

Production

Filming will take place in February 2013 in Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mauritania.

Distribution and Promotion

A teaser for the film was released in January 2013 in English (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDch0ssbNUI), French (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O7-suQQ_0I) and German (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLftjBXS1Lw). A short 10-minute film will be released on Wolrd Refugee Day on June 2013 as a general awareness-raising tool and a full length documentary will be released in November 2013.

Separate interviews have been made with Amadou & Mariam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VrPs8BgaZM) and two members of Tinariwen - Abdullah (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ToqqWfA_4) and Mina (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16nweiWaJoA).