Winds of Sand, Women of Rock

D: Nathalie Borgers, Belgium/France/Austria 2009, 90 min, German subtitles

Nothing can stop them: neither scorching heat nor sand storms, neither aching feet nor the birth of a baby. Once a year, the women of the Toubou trek across 1500 km of desert together with their children and camels. In the north of the Sahara they harvest dates, the sale of which ensures the survival of the nomadic tribe for the entire year. The Austrian Nathalie Borgers accompanied the caravan, and immersed herself in a restrictive and yet surprisingly tolerant community. Borgers creates a portrait of women caught between fulfilling traditions and heading towards freedom and the promise of a more modern lifestyle.