The Manuscripts of Timbuktu (Zola Maseko, South Africa, Mali, Morocco, 2009; 52 min.)  One of the definitions for Timbuktu in the Oxford Dictionary is “any distant or remote place”. Featuring the knowledgeable commentary by African scholars, rich reenactments, and an original musical score by Vieux Farka Touré, the essential documentary The Manuscripts of Timbuktu critiques this limited view by firmly demonstrating that Timbuktu was once thriving and home to an advanced civilization. It was a leading cultural, economic, scientific and religious center that made a significant and lasting impact on Africa and the entire world. The film successfully documents that Africa had vibrant scholarly institutions and written cultures long before European intervention. It establishes the importance of preserving the thousands of manuscripts from long ago as an exciting and empowering legacy for Africana scholarship today.
 

Watch the trailer here.