Wodaabe - Les bergers du soleil

The Wodaabe are a nomadic people who have been living along the southern edge of the Sahara for more than 5000 years. Their life is largely governed by the draught, making millet and cattle precious property. Wodaabe literally means ‘those who live with the taboo of purity’. However, the neighbouring tribes that despise them call them Bororos, ‘herdsmen who have been left to their own devices’. Werner Herzog particularly pays attention to the spectacular way in which the men court the women. The marriageable men try to outstrip each other by putting thick layers of make-up on their faces and bodies and by assuming expressive facial expressions and the attitudes of a model. Herzog shows this not only as an exotic ritual, he also filmed the men while having a private chat about the progress in their love lives. The big question, however, is how long the Wodaabe will be able to survive in the desert. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)