Three men attempt to become the first humans to run coast to coast across the Sahara Desert.Three men attempt to become the first humans to run coast to coast across the Sahara Desert.Three men attempt to become the first humans to run coast to coast across the Sahara Desert.Three men attempt to become the first humans to run coast to coast across the Sahara Desert.Three men attempt to become the first humans to run coast to coast across the Sahara Desert.
In 2006, an international expedition team of three men - Charlie Engle (USA), Ray Zahab (Canada) and Kevin Lin (Taiwan) undertook a quest that no human being has ever fulfilled. They ran across the Sahara Desert. Each runner brought his own unique story and motivations, but all unite around a love for Africa and a profound desire to prove that the impossible is possible. The film is an up-close, character-driven documentary that delves deep into the culture of the Sahara through the eyes of three individuals undergoing a life-altering experience. Along with the runners, we cross six countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Egypt. Through the eyes of our runners, we come to understand the realities of Africa - the beauty and the tragedy inherent in everyday life. This reality is underscored by the recurring theme of water - a daily necessity for our runners and a daily struggle for many of the people they encounter. The cast encountered many locals who spend two and half hours per day, every day, finding and cleaning their water for that day. Sprawling over 3.5 million square miles, the Sahara is a mystical land, enchanting for its extreme beauty and its complex culture. At the same time, it may well be the most unforgiving place on earth -- the daytime heat and the freezing temperatures at night can suck the life from a body in an instant. The team accomplished running for 111 days and over 4800 miles. This is the story of what happened along the way. —William Keys
Top review
Amazing feat--and a film that captures it well
Running 4,500 miles is something most of us will never do, so how lucky we are to have a film that shows three men and a small support crew doing exactly this.
The documentary's biggest strength is its realistic account of ways that team members dealt with the inevitable struggles among them and with the doubts in each one's minds about the constant challenges, mental and physical. At the end one of the runners comments that we are all limited by the goals we set for ourselves. Words to live by! Anyone who sees this film is likely to consider expanding his or her personal goals.
Given the impossible terrain--with sandstorms, heat, and access to virtually no local technology--the cinematography is outstanding, capturing the unimaginable beauty of the desert and handsomeness of the lonely, unfamiliar places the runners encountered.
At a few points when the team's mood was low, the film sank into an uncomfortable, bitchy reality TV format. Regrettably also, the coverage of the diversity of cultures and geography they ran past was necessarily cursory (note pun opportunity here). But the reward for enduring these shortcomings is an unparalleled opportunity to experience untold human strength.
The documentary's biggest strength is its realistic account of ways that team members dealt with the inevitable struggles among them and with the doubts in each one's minds about the constant challenges, mental and physical. At the end one of the runners comments that we are all limited by the goals we set for ourselves. Words to live by! Anyone who sees this film is likely to consider expanding his or her personal goals.
Given the impossible terrain--with sandstorms, heat, and access to virtually no local technology--the cinematography is outstanding, capturing the unimaginable beauty of the desert and handsomeness of the lonely, unfamiliar places the runners encountered.
At a few points when the team's mood was low, the film sank into an uncomfortable, bitchy reality TV format. Regrettably also, the coverage of the diversity of cultures and geography they ran past was necessarily cursory (note pun opportunity here). But the reward for enduring these shortcomings is an unparalleled opportunity to experience untold human strength.
helpful•30
- xWRL
- Jul 10, 2012
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