Fowler film series to show reality of Tuareg life

They say a photograph is truth. And a film, truth at 24 frames per second.

Whether or not that is the case, the Fowler Museum’s newest film series hopes to reveal something of the reality behind an often misunderstood people.

Starting with “Africa: Desert Odyssey,” tomorrow at 6 p.m., the Fowler Museum at UCLA will screen three films regarding the life of the Tuareg, a seminomadic African tribe that resides in and around Niger, Mali and Algeria.

The series is being held in conjunction with “Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World.”

“The exhibit and the films really go together,” said Bonnie Poon, manager of public programs at the Fowler Museum. “While the exhibition is certainly evocative and provides a sense of context, the films show the environment in which the Tuareg live.”

Alas, this “environment” is nothing if not harsh. The Tuareg have, for centuries, survived within the unforgiving Sahara desert, regularly crossing its sandy dunes for trading purposes. This fact, coupled with their characteristic dresses, jewels, and weapons ““ often littered with complex ornamentation ““ has endowed the Tuareg with a fantastical mystique which is not altogether true to life.

“The films that were chosen portray the Tuareg in a respectful and honest light,” Poon said. “The Tuareg have always been a source of fascination, and they themselves have managed to embrace the mystique that surrounds them; they are aware of it and have expanded upon it.”

“Desert Odyssey,” the first film in the series, is a documentary chronicling the voyage of Adam Ilius, a Tuareg boy of only 9 years of age, who crosses the Sahara to trade salt for food and clothing. The spice ““ once held in the same regard as gold ““ is the Tuareg cargo of choice. For Adam, this is to be the first of many salt caravans, a traditional element of Tuareg life which is surprisingly persistent in light of creeping modernity.

This documentary is part of the eight-episode series “Africa,” which was a joint production between National Geographic Television and Thirteen/WNET New York’s Nature.

Though different in form, the series’ two remaining films are similar in their display of traditional Tuareg culture.

“The Tuareg are not fixed in some moment of the past; the Tuareg are people of the present,” said Betsy Quick, director of education for the Fowler Museum. “The exhibition and film series addresses both past and present Tuareg realities.”

“Festival in the Desert,” which will be screened on Wednesday, Jan. 31, shows the 2003 edition of the titular musical festival, which has been held annually since 2001 in the oasis town of Essakane, Mali. The footage by filmmaker Lionel Brouet includes performances and interviews of a wide range of artists, from the little-known group Tinariwen to Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.

The final film, “Middle of the Moment,” explores the meaning of a nomadic life, juxtaposing the experiences of two Tuareg groups, the European circus troupe Cirque O, and the American poet Robert Lax.

Though a documentary, its approach is a lyrical one ““ a “cinepoem,” as filmmakers Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel call it. A soundtrack by musician Fred Frith sets the rhythm for this exploration on freedom, living in the moment, and the nomad idea.

“The films juxtapose the mystique of the Tuareg against the backdrop of their present-day realities,” said Quick. “Today, there is a strong sense of “˜being’ Tuareg which has allowed many of them to thrive within their own society, national context and world at large.”

These three films, each in its particular way, showcase the Tuareg as they really are, instead of how they are often perceived.

They do not mythologize their subjects, but expose something about their way of life.

And with the recent increase of international recognition for Tuareg music, merchandise and art, learning about this unique African tribe is as relevant as ever.

“These films show the Tuareg at a cultural intersection with the modern world,” Poon said.

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