User reviews

Filmed in Tunisia, Wanderers of the Desert is a 1984 film by writer and director Nacer Khemir. It is a Sufi tale, based on a poem, a quest for roots, love and freedom. In this dusty story, magic and reality overlap to sing the beauty of the desert. It combines poetry with mystique in a metaphorical fable which forces the viewer's perception of reality and forces the viewer to look behind the visible - without giving any clue. The filmmaker, through carefully planned shots and sequences and the poetry of his writing, pays an homage to the splendor of Arabian culture.

A young teacher arrives at a village built on the border of the desert where children have never been to school. Apart from the children, the village is inhabited by elderly men, women, and a mysterious and beautiful young girl. The men left to seek the boundaries of the limitless desert. The teacher is finally captivated by the shimmering world of sand and the Andalusia melody of its wanderers.

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).

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 !