Critics and controversy: the reception of Salafistes (2016) in France, followed by an interview with co-director François Margolin

Abstract

ABSTRACT François Margolin and Lemine Ould Salem’s documentary Salafistes is without doubt one of the most controversial films about terrorism released in France in recent decades. The film’s central focus is the occupation of the northern Malian cities of Timbuktu and Gao by the jihadist group Ansar Dine, but Salafistes also mixes interviews with jihadis from groups such as Ansar Dine, Al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb and ISIS members in Tunisia with jihadi propaganda videos, mostly from the Islamic State. Upon release, the film was subject to state restrictions on distribution, and it provoked strong reactions of both praise and censure in the national and international press. This article outlines the socio-political conditions surrounding the conflict in Mali and the work of filmmakers in the region, before considering some of the press responses that Salafistes evoked. This brief introduction is followed by an interview with Salafistes co-director François Margolin.