Afghanistan - Travelling With Nomads

Versions of this FilmLanguage (Type)
Afghanistan – Unterwegs mit NomadenGerman (original)zum Film
Afghanistan - Travelling With NomadsEnglish (subtitled)zum Film
Afghanistan – Unterwegs mit NomadenGerman (dubbed)zum Film
(Afghanistan – Unterwegs mit Nomaden)French (dubbed)zum Film
Series
Synopsis
This film showcases the pastoral migration of one of the oldest Baluchi tribes of Central Asia. Over 500 women, children and men, 200 camels and thousands of sheep are en route, travelling as they do every spring from their winter camp to the summer pastures. The caravan takes 30 days, covering about 20 kilometres a day. Even before sunrise the huge tents made of goat´s hair are taken down, the entire household equipment, little children and even newborn cattle are packed up and securely fastened on the backs of the camels, ready for transport. The caravan is led by Hadji Shirin. With his huge turban, long white beard and the riding whip, which seems to have grown to his wrist, the 65- year-old seems like a tribal prince from the times of Marco Polo. He is always the first, he is always the last. He rides ahead to reconnoitre the camping place for the next night, he stays behind to make sure that nothing has been forgotten: no tent pole, no teapot, no lamb. Every day he defies attempts at blackmail by sedentary landsmen - and every day he pays tribute. Afghanistan´s nomads are among the people of history. In past times, they supplied the entire land with meat, fat and milk products. The war and the recurrent droughts have taken their toll. Nowadays food imports and aid deliveries have made them almost superfluous. Hadji Shirin doesn´t know whether he can persuade his tribe to set off on the migration again. More and more heads of families in his clan are thinking of selling their cattle and moving to the outskirts of the city as day labourers.
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Asia
War
Terror
Tribe
Nomad
Herd
Runtime (in min.):52
Format:Digital Betacam
Year Of Production:2004
Countries of Production:Germany
Companies & Organizations
Production Company:

SWR

Filmmakers
Directing:

Ulrike Becker

Keywords
Asia; War; Terror; Tribe; Nomad; Herd; Landscape; Nature; Society
Categories
Society & Social Life, Asia, Other Asian Countries