Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love

PG

Released Jun 12, 2009

1h 42m

Documentary

Music

List

83%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

African singer Youssou N'Dour ignites controversy in his native Senegal and other Muslim countries by recording and releasing an album about Islam.

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Critics Consensus

It never gets close enough to its subject, and it's curiously light on music, but this documentary is nonetheless a long-overdue tribute to a brilliant musician.

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Audience Member

"Egypt" was N'dour's most ambitious album yet. An album that was religious and spiritual as it was epic and creative. But then his native Senegal couldn't wrap their heads around it, asking why he was making some religious record, and high Islamic groups protested it saying music like that is not to be sung. The documentary looks into N'dour's life, his success, emotional high and downfall, and obviously, and one man's powerful voice and spirit.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Avoid at all costs a real stinker

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

YOUSSOU N'DOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE is a gorgeously photographed, music infused cinematic portrait of world famous Senegalese pop sensation Youssou N?Dour. Best known in the West for his collaborations with Bono and Peter Gabriel, N?Dour is one of the most beloved musicians in pop music and his legendary career has spanned decades. In 2004, responding to negative perceptions about his Muslim faith, N?Dour recorded EGYPT, a deeply spiritual album dedicated to a more tolerant view of Islam. In a critical and career-defining moment, the album was awarded the 2004 Grammy® for BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM. While Western audiences embraced N?Dour?s brave musical message, it encountered a serious religious backlash in his native country of Senegal where N?Dour is considered a national hero. Local critics and the media accused him of insulting Islam, arguing that pop and religious music should not mix. Combining unprecedented images of Senegal?s most sacred Muslim rituals, vibrant concert performances filmed around the world, and intimate access to N?Dour and his family, I BRING WHAT I LOVE chronicles the difficult path this remarkable artist must take. It is a stirring journey of faith, redemption, and the power of music to overcome intolerance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I bring what I love, Twizzlers, Gummi Bears and Old Milwaukee Light shoved into my pockets as someone lets me in through the side exit at the movies.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

YOUSSOU N'DOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE is a gorgeously photographed, music infused cinematic portrait of world famous Senegalese pop sensation Youssou N'Dour. Best known in the West for his collaborations with Bono and Peter Gabriel, N'Dour is one of the most beloved musicians in pop music and his legendary career has spanned decades. In 2004, responding to negative perceptions about his Muslim faith, N'Dour recorded EGYPT, a deeply spiritual album dedicated to a more tolerant view of Islam. In a critical and career-defining moment, the album was awarded the 2004 Grammy® for BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM. While Western audiences embraced N'Dour's brave musical message, it encountered a serious religious backlash in his native country of Senegal where N'Dour is considered a national hero. Local critics and the media accused him of insulting Islam, arguing that pop and religious music should not mix.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

the only movie that has made me cry so far this year.. so beautiful

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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David Fear

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Hank Sartin

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

By far the most powerful element is N'Dour's lone voice, a thing of high, pure beauty that feels at once ancient and new. When he sings, an otherwise earnestly conventional film becomes a vehicle of incantatory power.

Oct 16, 2009

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Inspirational concert film.

Rated: B-

Sep 6, 2009

Full Review

Rob Lowman

Los Angeles Daily News

When the music starts playing, it's easy to forgive the film's flaws.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 17, 2009

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

An inspiring and edifying cinematic exploration of the power of music and the soul of a big-hearted African Sufi singer who has used his exceptional talent and creativity to make a better world.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 4, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

African singer Youssou N'Dour ignites controversy in his native Senegal and other Muslim countries by recording and releasing an album about Islam.

Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Producer: Jennifer Millstone, Patrick R. Morris, Edward Tyler Nahem, Kathryn Tucker
Screenwriter: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Distributor: Shadow Distribution
Production Co: Groovy Griot, 57th & Irving Productions
Rating: PG (Brief Smoking|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $167.4K
Runtime: 1h 42m

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