Ässhäk

Ässhäk – Tales From The Sahara

Switzerland / Germany / Netherlands, December 2003
FILM, Documentary, 110 min.

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directed by
Ulrike Koch
Written by
Ulrike Koch
Status
In distribution

Filmmaker Ulrike Koch takes us on a journey into the Saharan desert of Niger and offers a mesmerizing glimpse into a secret way of life: the Tuareg. Enigmatic and mysterious, the Tuareg nomads continue to combine high ethical and aesthetic standards with a minimum of material culture. The film follows Nohi, a man in pursuit of his runaway camel. On his search for the wayward beast, he encounters various characters, including a holy man, the Marabout, and a young girl about to become a Targia, a radiant and strong Tuareg woman. Koch's captivating film discovers the beauty, rites and uniquely poetic lifestyle of this singular people.

La ricerca di un cammello fuggito ci porta nel territorio Tuareg. Questo popolo ha trovato il proprio insediamento tra il calore e il freddo, tra la grandiosità del cielo stellato e la luce tenue di un fuoco nel deserto, coltivando il proprio amore per la bellezza e la poesia. Il marabù, venerato come un santo, funge da tramite tra il mondo invisibile degli spiriti e gli esseri umani, incarnando l’asse verticale del film, il collegamento tra cielo e terra. La ragazza, una giovane Targia, ci introduce nella tenda delle donne, nelle cui mani vi è ancora il ritmo del vivere insieme.

credits

World Premiere
December 2003
Original Version
Tamashek (german subtitles),  colour, 35mm, 110 min.
Production
Catpics Coproductions AG, Pegasos Film Filmverleih und Produktion GmbH, Artcam The Nederlands, SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, ARTE G.E.I.E., ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, NPS - Televisie NTR, YLE Co-productions, TV1 Finnland
Producer
Alfi Sinniger
directed by
Ulrike Koch
Written by
Ulrike Koch
Cinemato­graphy
Pio Corradi
Music
Harry de Wit
Location Sound Mix
Peijn Aben, Dieter Meyer

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