In 1991, the people of Mali overthrew a military dictatorship. Democratic elections were held, a free press started running, yet the nation had to struggle with the effects of an economic structural adjustment programme and inter-ethnic tensions which brought it to the brink of catastrophe. This work looks at the lives of ordinary people in Mali, asking how they are surviving the changes which are transforming their nation. It also celebrates the culture of the West African country, from village story-tellers to world-famous film-makers and musicians like Salif Keita and Ali Farka Toure.