Schatten der Wüste - Salzkarawanen im Niger
Shadows of the desert - Salt caravans in Niger
Bettina Haasen / Germany / 2006 / 43 min / Colour
Niger, land of salt caravans. Djibrilla, a 12-year-old boy and member of the Kel Ewey clan, is for the first time in his life allowed to accompany the Tuareg on their annual trek across the Tenéré desert, a trip leading from the Air Mountains to the Oasis of Blima. Here the clan purchases salt, subsequently selling it in order to survive. The Tuareg walk takes 30 days and covers 600 kilometers. Djibrilla is guided on this voy- age by "Madugu" Adoua. Sitting around the campfire on cool desert nights and en route amidst the sandy terrain, Djibrilla tests his courage before reaching the oasis. The salt will be loaded and eventually sold in the mountains, following the ritual offer- ing made to the gods.
Bettina Haasen
Credits
Language German Screenplay Bettina Haasen Cinematography Alexander Hein Editing Verena Schönauer Music Ludwig Eckmann, Winfried Zrenner Production company Filmquadrat