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El Haimoune (Wanderers of the Desert) (12A*) + Introduction

Screening the Sahara

A young and an old man sit in a temple conversing, surrounded by lamps and glass jars.

This Sufi tale, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Nacer Khemir and showing in a new restoration, captures the beauty and intrigue of the Sahara through a mystical lens.

El Haimoune is the first part of Nacer Khemir's Desert Trilogy, following the journey of a newly appointed teacher in a village which does not have a school. The village is home to elders, spirits, and children, creating a garden of mirrors in the desert. Fragments of mirrors reflect the beaming sun on the sand as the wanderers who left the village drift on a mystifying quest, accompanied by Andalusian melody.

Folklore and poetry shape villagers' daily lives against splendid traditional architecture. Whispers in the village reveal the weight carried by parents whose children have ventured into the desert due to an enigmatic curse. A site of endless wandering, the spirituality of the Sahara emerges through mesmerising and surreal visuals.

El Haimoune, Nacer Khemir, 1984, 95 minutes, in French with English subtitles

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