France / 2023 / 53mins / Documentary / French and Bambara

For the first time, the story of the kora, one of Africa’s most iconic and virtuosic instruments, is told on film. Ballaké Sissoko, the award-winning musician from Mali, takes us on a unique journey on a quest to learn more about the origins and development of the 21-string harp, through legend, history, tradition and innovation.

Laurent Benhamou

After studying biology, Laurent Benhamou gravitated quickly towards his twin-loves, sound and vision. In 2002, he joined Mondomix - a web and paper magazine specialising in world cultures - where, for 6 years, he was head of production for all multimedia content. In 2008 he created Crunk, his own audio-visual production company, music and musicians being central to his themes.
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Lucy Durán

Lucy Durán (Professor of Music at SOAS, University of London) specializes in the music of Mali and Cuba. From 2000-2013 she presented the BBC Radio 3 weekly programme World Routes. As a music producer, she has 24 albums to her name, launching the solo careers of Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté and Trio Da Kali, all from Mali, with three Grammy nominations and many awards.
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