Zerzura Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
If you’re looking for a disorientating journey into the Sahara desert inspired by Touareg folk-tales, you’ve come to the right place. Zerzura looks and feels like a budget film, so don’t expect high production quality. However, you can expect a lot of magic, dreams, visions and djinn, as one nomad goes in search of his lost brother.
From: Niger, Africa
Watch: Trailer
Next: Sleepwalking Land, Under the Shadow, Enter the Void
Why Watch Zerzura?
- For a window into the Saharan dreams and imagination (from a western perspective)
- Get to grips with Touareg folklore
- To meet the Djinn
- If you like psychedelic b-movies
The Breakdown
Zerzura starts with a bit of Touareg folklore that reappears later in the film. It’s the story of the child thieving bird that every child wants to catch. The mysterious bird lures them further and further into the desert as they try to catch them, before they no longer know where they are. Lost in the Sahara desert. Some say that these birds are part of the Djinn (evil spirits). Others say that they’re the guardians of the city of Zerzura, the El Dorado of the Sahara desert.
From there the narrative jumps to follow a young nomadic man. It’s just after we are warned of being led into the desert in search of something, that this nomad decides to leave his nomadic life in search of his long lost brother.
He’s immediately disoriented as soon as he reaches Agadez. The city is another world compared to his quiet nomadic life. He’s surrounded by people from all corners of the Sahara desert. The bustle is a far cry from the 3 or 4 people he sees every day at home.
However he only becomes more disoriented after leaving Agadez. From there, he goes in search of the legendary city of Zerzura by walking into the desert. It’s here where the film gets psychedelic. Djinn appear and disappear to haunt him with special effects that might remind you of Jason and the Argonauts. Will he find what he’s looking for, or get trapped on a endless journey of discovery?
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking for more psychedelic journeys which delve into folklore and myths, check out Sleepwalking Land (based on Mia Couto’s excellent novel). You could also watch the old classic Jason and the Argonauts.
For more of a challenging watch you can also see Jodorowsky’s El Topo (a Mexican-American acid western), or Gaspar Noe’s modern psychedelic masterpiece, Enter the Void.
Or if the djinn is your thing, watch Under the Shadow. It’s a brilliant horror/thriller movie from Iran, set during the Iran-Iraq war.
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