A Catpics Coproductions (Switzerland)/Pegasos Film (Germany)/Art Cam (the Netherlands) production. (International sales: Catpics AG, Zurich.) Produced by Alfi Sinniger, Karl Baumgartner, Ernst Szebedits, Gerard Huisman. Directed, written by Ulrike Koch.
More mood piece than informative documentary, Ulrike Koch's Tuareg reverie "Asshak, Tales from the Sahara" is an attractive, leisurely look at the lives of the nomadic tribesmen of central Niger. Employing an objective camera without narration, Koch's interest lies in the beauty of the image and the interweaving of legends with everyday life rather than relaying facts. Ethno fests will be likely takers, though judicious trimming could increase likelihood of cable exposure.
A tribesman's search for a lost camel becomes the tenuous linking device that just barely connects stories attempting to present, rather than analyze, Tuareg customs and behavior. Central to these figures is an official storyteller, who admits his weaving of fact and fiction gets taken for the gospel truth, although in a society in which legend plays such a strong part in connecting nomadic people, one suspects his fellow tribesmen know historic truths are less important than parables.
The guiding principle in this society of wanderers is "Asshak," which translates to a deep respect for the rules of conduct and good behavior. Several tribesmen and women discuss the importance of Asshak in their daily lives, but Koch fails to demonstrate its hold on the Tuareg. Most fascinating of the episodes shows a
marabout, or holy man, preparing a healing concoction for a pregnant woman suffering during a difficult delivery. First carefully painting lines from the Koran on a wooden board, he washes the ink off, gathering the liquid in a vessel which is then given to the woman to drink.
Neither as informative as the recent Tuareg docu "The Sand Raft," nor following a specific story as in Koch's previous "The Saltmen of Tibet," "Asshak" isn't the place to learn about the Tuareg's struggle to hold onto their fading culture, nor how their way of life has been targeted by governments seeking to bring them under control. An overlong dream sequence involving local wildlife is attractive but unnecessary.
Pic's gorgeous lensing, courtesy of Pio Corradi, compensates for the occasional longueurs, and glorious closeups reveal the pride and nobility in Tuareg faces. Especially memorable are images of camel tracks seen from above, crisscrossing the desert sands with calligraphic beauty.
Camera (color), Pio Corradi; editor, Magdolna Rokob; music, Harry de Wit; sound (Dolby digital), Dieter Meyer, Pepijn Aben. Reviewed at Rotterdam Film Festival (competing), Jan. 25, 2004. Running time: 114 MIN.
(Tamasheq dialogue)
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