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The Makwayela dance is a form of protest, which the directors show a group of Mozambique factory workers performing.

Three African friends travel from their drought stricken Niger to an inundated Holland (where they learn about sustainable low tech windmills) and back again in this act of collaborative filmmaking suffused with improvisation and humor.

A group of West African hunters embark on a ritual hunt, tracking a pride of lions which has been attacking their cattle.

A Mauritanian worker, Sidi, works in France. Like most immigrant workers, he is employed in the most arduous and dangerous jobs.

The fourth year of the Sigui ceremonies, celebrated every sixty years by the Dogons of the Bandiagara cliffs, Mali, takes place in the village of Amani.

Burial of the Hogon of Sanga, Dogon religious leader of Lower Ogol, Mali.

From the bridges of Porto to its estuary, two men are paying tribute to the elegant Douro River. Through Luís de Camões and Prince Henry the Navigator, through its Viking ships and dizzying bridges, the Douro is a great witness to the history and culture of Portugal. Jean Rouch and Manoel de Oliveira are walking alongside while reciting a poem written by de Oliveira himself. During their walk, they reflect upon documentary-making, the charm of the river, and what it represents to them.

The third year of the Sigui ceremonies, celebrated every sixty years by the Dogons of the Bandiagara cliffs, Mali, takes place in the village of Bongo.

A dance of possession takes place in Zima Dauda Sido's concession in Niger. Turu and Bitti, the archaic drums, will be beaten during the ceremony.

Near Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, people care for themselves as best as they can. They are also helped by Albert Atcho, the high priest of the Harris cult. A kind of magus, Monsieur Albert obtains amazing healings among the mentally ill.

The second year of the Sigui ceremonies, celebrated every sixty years by the Dogons of the Bandiagara cliffs, Mali, takes place in the village of Tyogou.

Scene of possession during a ceremony to appeal for rain in Niger.

Director Jean Rouch invites the viewer to a guided tour through the cinematographic museum Henri Langlois had built in Paris. This documentary is a unique document since the museum burnt down and cannot be visited anymore.