Sahel's Harvest

Thierry Devillet & Pascal Besnard & 56, 93' — 1999

This is the story of men and women of dust, a story of children with a thousand and one memories. Mohammed, warrior chief and descendant of the great nomads, lives in Bassikounou on the south-east borders of Mauritania. Once a nomad, Mohammed used to navigate “by dead reckoning”, following the rain clouds and finding undetectable wells for himself, his tribe and his livestock. Existence was based on seasonal migrations. Today, they have been forced to stop and make the painful discovery of sedentary life. Léon is a farmer in Etikhove, in the Flemish Ardennes of Belgium. At 63, he has never left his 28 hectares of land. One day, he is asked to part with an old mower that had belonged to his father. He agrees but decides to follow the machine to its destination. The journey takes him to Bassikounou. The meeting between Mohammed and Léon is a comparison of two ways of life, expressed with spontaneity, generosity and modesty. Available in 56 min.

Belgium

Production: Devil Production, Triangle 7
Co-production: RTBF, Canal+ Belgique, CBA
With the support of U.E.DG VIII, Caritas Belgique, DGCI, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Réalisation
Thierry Devillet, Pascal Besnard
Scenario
Thierry Devillet, Pascal Besnard
DOP
Olivier Pulinckx
Sound
Paul Heymans
Image editor
Pascal Besnard
Mix
Paul Heymans
Image Format
Betacam digitale
Sound Format
Stéréo
BW/Colour
Color
Languages OV
FR
Available subtitles
EN, NL
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