
LES NOMADES DU SOLEIL
1955
44 min
16 mm
Henry Brandt
Les Nomades du soleil (The Nomads of the Sun)
This ethnographic film follows the nomadic life of the Wodaabe Fulani ethnic group, whose life is punctuated by the dry and rainy seasons. Included in a multimedia project, this medium-length film shows the daily life of this nomadic people whose main rituals take place during the “time of green grass.” The preparation and running of the annual Guerewol festival are carefully captured by the filmmaker. It is a prenuptial ritual taking place over several days in which men, adorned with jewellery and make-up, perform songs and dances under the watchful eye of their potential brides and members of the community. The director acts as a witness to a dying world: “How long will the Wodaabe be able to preserve their superb and fragile independence?” (GD)
Les Nomades du soleil (The Nomads of the Sun)
Switzerland, 1955, 44 min., 16mm
By Henry Brandt
Commissioned by: Musée d’ethnographie, Neuchâtel
Filmed by: Henry Brandt Restored by: Cinémathèque suisse 2016 (with the support of Memoriav)