Most films about the impact of Islamic extremists on society are so full of clichés that they are painful to watch. Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako bucks the trend with his enthralling and provocative tale Timbuktu, inspired by the brief occupation of northern Mali by the Ansar Dine movement, and the public stoning of an unmarried couple, in 2012. The film debuted in competition at Cannes and is Mauritian entry for the Oscars. What's remarkable is how Sissako shows the public adapting to shifting rules and social conditions. When football is banned, the young kids play a game of football without a football, imagining that they have a ball at their feet. The puritans infuriate the local Imam, who upholds the traditions of a benevolent and tolerant Islam. The cinematography by Sofian El Fani is mesmerising, while the way he shoots the murder scene is worthy of an epic from the British filmmaker David Lean. *Kaleem Aftab
• Sunday, October 26, 8.45pm, Vox 5; Tuesday, October 28, 3.30pm, Vox 4
