They Will Have to Kill Us First is a BBC feature-length documentary exploring the impact of authoritarian fundamentalist rule on musicians in northern Mali, where radio stations were destroyed, instruments were burned, and artists were forced into hiding or exile. The challenge was to immediately communicate the severity of the situation while drawing the audience into the story.

Having already been involved in the project in an editorial advisory role, we were commissioned to create and edit the opening section of the film, built around music from Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Malian artist Amkoullel. Cut with the energy and immediacy of a music video, the sequence sets the tone for the documentary, establishing both the drama of the situation and the resilience at the heart of the story.