On the occasion of the retrospective of the films of Abderrahmane Sissako at MOMA, here’s a clip from his 2006 feature, “Bamako,” which screens there on June 27th and June 29th (and is also available on DVD). The fictional set-up by which he channels his documentary subjects—Malian locals who come to an unofficial court that is trying the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for crimes against Africa—provides a remarkable angle by which to view globalization, namely, in terms of the frustrating recognition that events happening at hand are being controlled by people and institutions far away. Economists and political scientists may debate who, in fact, wins the outdoor courtroom’s debates, but Sissako’s depiction of the gap between bureaucratic decision-making and local experience poignantly lifts unheralded citizens and their modest concerns to the big historical stage.
Goings On
What we’re watching, listening to, and doing this week, online, in N.Y.C., and beyond. Paid subscribers also receive book picks.
Our Local Correspondents
Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation
How bots, mercenaries, and table scalpers have turned the restaurant reservation system inside out.
By Adam Iscoe
The New Yorker Interview
Jonathan Haidt Wants You to Take Away Your Kid’s Phone
The social psychologist discusses the “great rewiring” of children’s brains, why social-media companies are to blame, and how to reverse course.
By David Remnick
Pop Music
The Tortured Poetry of Taylor Swift’s New Album
“The Tortured Poets Department” has moments of tenderness. But it suffers from being too long and too familiar.
By Amanda Petrusich
Dept. of Medicine
How to Die in Good Health
The average American celebrates just one healthy birthday after the age of sixty-five. Peter Attia argues that it doesn’t have to be this way.
By Dhruv Khullar