At the center of the earth, of wells and men
Director Ingrid Patetta
Countries
Duration 25 min
Synopsis
A man stands at the mouth of a well, donning a rudimentary harness. Camera in hand, he starts a 126 meters drop, at the end of which he reaches two men working at the center of the earth. We have entered the world of the traditional well-diggers of Niger. Through interviews of a master well-digger and his labourers, the film reveals the customary know-how of these men fighting against sand in order to access water. Shot in desert landscapes, the film treats the following themes : acces to water, desertification and its impact on the communities of nomadic cattle breeders.
A man stands at the mouth of a well, donning a rudimentary harness. Camera in hand, he starts a 126 meters drop, at the end of which he reaches two men working at the center of the earth. We have entered the world of the traditional well-diggers of Niger. Through interviews of a master well-digger and his labourers, the film reveals the customary know-how of these men fighting against sand in order to access water. Shot in desert landscapes, the film treats the following themes : acces to water, desertification and its impact on the communities of nomadic cattle breeders.