“In 14th-century Mali, an ambitious young royal named Mansa Musa ascended the throne of the richest kingdom in human history. Sun of the Soil follows Malian artist Abdou Ouologuem on a journey to discover the truth behind the legendary African king. Abdou and Musa’s arcs weave together, punctuated by performances that illustrate key moments in Musa’s reign.” via AfricanFilmNY

Driven by the music that has captured so many global imaginations, he traveled to Mali in January 2013 to work with the director of the Festival in the Desert Manny Ansar as a photographer and videographer. January was also the month that French paratroopers began to drop from the sky, adding another layer to an already complex conflict, and the Festival was canceled. Ansar instead organized the Caravan for Peace, which circled the area of conflict and featured Mariam Koné, Khaira Arby, Amanar and others. [Michael] Meredith (director, alongside Wim Wenders as apprentice) documented the trip, the refugee camps in the surrounding areas and made his first trip to Timbuktu. This journey became the beginnings of Meredith’s first documentary film project Return to Timbuktu. via OkayPlayer