A French woman wanders into the desert and actually learns something. Shocking.
Namib, an incredible spot is home to the highest sand dunes on Earth, along with 3500 species of plants of incredible diversity, all adapted to the arid climate. Elephants, antelopes, lions, giraffes and rhinoceros roam freely in the Namib with neither fence nor enclosure, as if at the dawn of time. Management of the protected areas has been entrusted to the local people and in particular to the Himba, the dominant tribe of the desert. Underground there are hidden treasures, diamonds, uranium and iron. From the beginning of the 20th century the Namib has attracted miners from all over the world, with an increasing appetite. Today, new mining projects threaten the ecosystem of the region. Olivia crosses the desert from the South to North, sharing the difficult everyday lives of the people of the desert. Exploring this rich but fragile garden of Eden, she attempts to understand why the survival of the desert is so important to the people and animals that live there.
Cinematography
Those blood-orange dunes deserve their own Oscar category.
Direction
Mokiejewski actually listens to locals instead of talking over them.
Director
Olivia Mokiejewski
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mokiejewski spent three months in the desert with minimal crew, often sleeping in Himba villages with no running water.
The film was barely distributed in France because state broadcasters allegedly found its anti-extraction stance 'too activist' for 2014.
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