Habib Dembélé

Dani Kouyate's Sia, the Dream of the Python (2001) gives the Malian actor the role of Balla, a griot within a story of sacrifice, rulers and manipulated belief. His place in the film draws attention to who tells the community's stories and whose authority those stories serve. It is a strong route into political allegory through performance and speech. Do not mistake its legendary setting for a simple folktale: coercion and sexual violence make this adult viewing.