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Malick Sidibé started out as a local photographer in Bamako, Mali. After independence in 1960, his snazzy studio portraits and party shots captured the buoyant optimism of a new nation. Today they are recognized internationally as masterpieces, and Malick is world famous.

This short but sweet film looks at the work of the renowned African artist whose photographs have documented Malian society over a forty-year period. In an interview, this self-taught photographer, now seventy years old, describes how his photography answered a desire for immortality, discusses his views of photography as a "social art form" and explains his documentary and portrait techniques, including methods of putting his subjects at ease and "giving life to the image." Another scene gives us a rare look at the photographer at work his studio, placing his subjects in stylized poses while he quickly deploys humor and flattery in the service of his art.

MALICK SIDIBE showcases many of his best known photos, especially those documenting Malian youth culture in the Sixties, including portraits of youngsters posing in the era's 'hip' fashions and his energetic images of Malian teenagers enjoying the latest dance crazes.

This short film will serve as a useful introduction to a photographer whose body of work, writes Index Magazine, is "characterized by acute observation, perfect timing and an infinite love for its subjects."

"In less than ten minutes and through impeccable editing, Vogel has successfully grasped the essence of Sidibe's photographic output and the charming of meeting with an artist so attentive to others. Her testimony to this photographer's personality, skill, and artistry is one for posterity." —Erike Nimis, H-AfrArts

"Evocative and deeply felt, the film transports us into the world of Sidibé, and helps us appreciate this artist and more generally photography in Africa. It is a joy to watch and perfect for teaching African art and photography." —Christraud M. Geary, Curator of African and Oceanic Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston

"Well-constructed and intelligently conceptualized… every shot has meaning, and its particular place in the montage; nothing seems redundant. Through visual language and sound alone, the film shows with brilliant economy what it intends to tell but more than that what the viewer is enabled to sense.” —Leonardo Reviews