Wanderers of the Desert

1986
6.8| 1h35m| en
Details

The first of Nacer Khemir's highly-regarded Desert Trilogy that includes The Dove's Lost Necklace and Bab'Aziz - The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul. Khemir creates an exotic world with Wanderers of the Desert when a young teacher arrives to take over a village school isolated in the shimmering desert. Legendary figures materialize out of wells and the desert itself, groups of children hurry through a labyrinth of underground corridors, the teacher is whisked away to a mysterious rendezvous and never returns.

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Also starring Nacer Khemir

Reviews

Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.
Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
Seamus2829 This simply told story tells of a teacher who is sent to a desert village (or what is left of it)to teach the young people there. He arrives to find the citizens walking around in a dreamlike state. When the teacher asks the local Sheik, he is informed that the village has a curse upon it, where the locals walk off, with the promise of a buried treasure, only to find themselves the unfortunates that are referred to as the wanderers of the desert, who will wander until the end of time in the desert. Add some elements of spirituality & you have yourself a beautifully told tale of casting off the material/superficial world & connecting with the spiritual one. Despite the overall lack of colour, it still manages to capture glints of Persian rugs,shawls,prayer mats, etc. It also manages to add some very Fellini like images from time to time (the boat that turns up outside the village gate). This is story telling at it's best (the film's pacing will put a few off, although the film itself clocks in just over 95 mins,it can seem endless to someone who doesn't possess a long attention span). No MPAA rating here, but nothing to offend anybody (you can probably bring the entire family to this one---provided your family has the above mentioned attention span to deal with the pacing).
wobelix Tunisia has yet to reveal (much) more of her many wonders of Art to the world, but nonetheless the work of Nacer Khemir must be one of their crowning achievements.This poet, writer & cineast has created a truly grand film with his WANDERERS OF THE DESERT, which makes one hunger after the other two installments of his 'desert-trilogy'. Judging by the superb acting which the entire cast shows, Khemir must be a fantastic director !In a well balanced pace Khemir shows us past & present, myths & everyday life & legends, life & death and much beyond that. This epic in a forgotten village is not into finding answers, but the questions which are raised are truly wonderful.The ever-present desert is breathtakingly beautiful, and enhances the atmosphere of mystery that surrounds this saga from beginning till the end.It is hard to single out something in this beautiful film, but if something may be highlighted, it must be the costume department. What eye for detail, what a profound feeling for richness and diversity, without ever going over the top ! But then again, this could be said about all the aspects of this rich and glorious film.Thank you, Nacer Khemir !! Where can I find your books !