Timbuktu is the fourth feature film directed by Mauritanian director abderrahmane sissako. He used restrained camera language to tell a tragic reality: the African people in the Sahara desert fell silent under an unnatural reign of terror, but they were ignored by the whole world. 1 Timbuktu was selected as the main competition unit of the 67th Cannes Film Festival on 20 14. 1201412.20, shortlisted for the 87th Academy Awards? ) Best Foreign Language Film.