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This Birds-eye shot shows Zabou from above, demonstrating how closely she stands to the front of the Jihadists car. The large, black vehicle enters the frame from the right, moving slowly and cautiously, showing unreciprocated fear towards Zabou as she stands confidently, without alarm. The high angle of this show creates a sense of helplessness and forces the spectator to passively feel like a bystander, looking down upon what is about to unfold. Surprisingly, no conflict rises from the long and tense encounter, perhaps because Zabou approaches not with hostility, but instead with defiance, with her arms spread open, in front of several men with guns who seek to oppress her. This action is indicative to the relevance of her character as a liberated individual living amongst Jihadist oppressors. The Mise-en-scene assists in portraying this as the bright blue hues of the garments she wears contrast to the dark clothes of the ‘enemy’ and the beige of the surrounding landscape on which they live.

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The car is central within the long shot, its grey colour directly contrasting from the sand dunes of the vast desert and the dim sky above. The composition of the frame makes the car and its passengers feel out of place in their environment, emphasising how unnatural their presence is in Timbuktu. When Abdelkrim is told that everyone knows that he smokes, he reacts by shooting at the tuft of grass in the distance. This is somewhat similar to one of the shots in the beginning of the film, where a group of Jihadists shoot at effigies and statues. Sissako may be making a statement that while Jihadists act in violent ways, they can not destroy the culture and growth of an entire country, displaying the strength of those oppressed by the Jihadist regime. His aggressive reaction to something natural that he cannot control reflects the attitude of the Jihadist regime.

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One key contextual contradiction within this scene is the Jihadists talking about football; football is banned under their rule which shows that the Jihadists themselves don't follow their rules. This links to Abdelkerim breaking the rules by smoking and dancing. This scene is shot as a medium-long shot with a bland mise-en-scene background.
Within this scene although the Jihadists are seen to be wearing relatively bright clothing, the main character that stands out is Zabou. This could be because she is seen not holding any weapons (included throughout Timbuktu) whereas each of the Jihadists are holding guns. Furthermore, even though she has no weapons of defence she is presented as a strong-willed character who bluntly (yet peacefully) refuses to conform to the Jihadist's ideology.

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The overall aesthetic of the scene focuses on the silhouetted jihadists. One could argue that by having it in complete darkness, there is clear connotations toward the dark/despair of the film; this also links with the shadow being distorted (which one could argue as a possible "humanity" in the characters). The framing also shows the jihadists in the center, which going by standard Hollywood tropes, means they are the focus. There is a clear irony about this, given the dead body being of much more importance, yet it is off to the side. The mise-en-scene overall follows a possible metaphorical aspect, through the proxemics of each prop. There is a sense of foreshadowment, through each character; in particular of the truck representing the mechanical nature of the jihads, whilst also having the morally questionable characters within that faction as well. This is all in parallel, against the declining general population, which are ultimately being killed off.

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The car, alongside the motorcyclist is a recurring motif. When in the hand of Abdelkrim, it also acts as a metaphor toward the Jihadists reign of terror; in which they “do not know everything”. The overall establishing shot places the car toward the outer of the frame, which shows that Sissako wanted to focus more on the overpowering sense of isolation and vastness. This isolation is also a possible metaphor toward Jihads, in the sense of their lack of acceptance.

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This particular scene is reminiscent of the effigies shooting that was present in the early stages of the film, due to its similar use of shots which deliberately isolate the two heads and similarly the two effigies. These two scenes are important in reflecting the mass oppression of the extremist regime and the effect on the oppressed communities who display great strength in fighting back. The field of view in this scene is also intentionally small, which is effectively to primarily focus on the couple's death and the immense significance of their actions; and subsequently illustrates the brutal actions of the extremists and how rebellion  is ultimately inevitable when you go against the natural order of things.

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This medium-long shot of Zabou blocking the car full of Jihadists contains connotations of strong will and defiance. Zabou is standing up to authority and not backing down, but throughout the film the Jihadists seem to do nothing about it, much like the mules, perhaps Zabou is also a part of the natural hierarchy within Timbuktu of which the Jihadists seem helpless against. It is clear to see who has the power in this shot as the Jihadists look down at Zabou from a high angle conveying the message that they have power. Perhaps this scene is indicative of an auteurs approach as it symbolizes rebelling, passion and defiance, this scene is all about rising up against evil and fighting against it.  Furthermore the contrast of modern technology within the setting of Timbuktu demonstrates the forcing of new culture upon these people and this goes hand in hand with the destruction of the culture currently residing in Timbuktu.

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This scene shows multiple members of the Timbuktu community participating in a banned sport, which is ultimately disturbed by a donkey walking on by. This particular establishing shot is incredibly reflective of the human spirit, but also how people and subsequently animals cannot be completely controlled, showcasing the inefficiency of the jihadist regime and how something will always stand in your way if you go against the natural order of things.

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Whilst in the car, Abdelkrim and his driver are sat on either side of the frame. The over the shoulder shot captures the two opposing sides in this film; especially in the Jihadists. On the left, we are shown the more traditional stereotype of Jihadism; with the costume portraying a sense of darkness and impending doom. However, the opposite is constantly contrasting, and one could argue that the motif of the yellow turban shows that there is still humanity within certain people.

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This scene shows fanatical Jihads destroying masks and statues, including a statue of a fertility goddess. This is a relevant scene to the plot as the suppression and control of women is shown as a key part of this new order enforced in city of Timbuktu. The relevance of the historical items being shot apart symbolizes the destruction of tradition, an ideological attack on the culture of Timbuktu. Close up shots show a statue bearing an anguished expression with mouth agape (emitting gun-smoke) in shock, or maybe mid scream, which can be linked to the face of pain on a woman as she gets lashings for having sung.

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This scene features a calm, peaceful ambiance (complimented by the film's non-diegetic soundtrack) and a combination of medium shots and close ups, which is very symbolic of the restriction and narrow-mindedness of the jihadist regime, who banned dancing (a beautiful form of expression and escapism). Djihadiste (despite his attempts to conform to the Jihadist regime) dances, illustrating the hypocrisy among extremists and how they don't fully believe in their actions.

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In this establishing shot we see a donkey blocking the path of two Jihadists. The donkey can be seen as a force of nature, or as a part of the natural order in Timbuktu that the Jihadists have no control over, which demonstrates the fact that no matter how hard they try, the Islamic state will never be able to gain full control over everything. The natural high key lighting casts dark shadows in which the Jihadists reside perhaps demonstrating their connection with evil and darkness. The colours in this shot are all very beige and dull, with this the donkey almost blends in with its surroundings again demonstrating how it is a part of the natural order  and comes hand in hand with a village like Timbuktu.

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Within this extreme Long Shot, we are shown the character of Amadou to be waving cows away from his property. The fact he is stood in the foreground, and directly in the middle could hold connotations of domination and oppression; with possible links to the Jihads. Yet one could also argue that he is on the same level as the cows cinematographically, which goes against the last statement; as it shows possible foreshadowment (toward his death).

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Key concepts and Aesthetics of the scene applied

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