Dreaming Mali

Summary

If it is true that art can be a universal language, why should
it not be possible to use it with people of totally different
social, religious, educational and cultural backgrounds? Two
visual and performing artists from Berlin traveled to remote
Mali villages without electricity or other comforts where
people speak only Bambara. For the projects, they used traditional
techniques of smelting ore, blacksmithing, music,
dance and singing traditional songs from different cultures.
They were amazed to see how easily authentic contact
could develop between different worlds.

“My idea was to explore what can be said in the language
of art using different media. To do so, the artist Markus
Schaller and I traveled to Mali where we learned about the
deep spiritual importance of blacksmithing and dreams.
They were to form the basis of our work there. But also the
direct and joyful musical communication in the final session
was very important for me. Later, back in Berlin, I translated
the Bambara song texts and was touched by how fitting the
Bambara and the German songs were. A total coincidence!
Which proves how we were all in the same poetic space
without knowing what the other was singing about.”
(Barbara Kowa)

Source: German Films Service & Marketing GmbH