7915 km

The title refers to the length of the renowned Paris to Dakar Rally as it was raced in 2007, this time from Lisbon, Portugal to Dakar, Senegal. For the time being, it would be the last race through the North African desert. Due to fears of terrorist attacks, the 2008 Rally was cancelled and the 2009 edition has been moved to South America. This road documentary begins where the race cars leave their dust clouds behind: with the people who live along the route, in Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal. The contrast between the motorised might and the simple population is striking. One local is surprised that the racers trust their navigation systems more than his knowledge of the land, a goatherd nervously keeps the city and TV at a safe distance, the owner of a movie theatre explains why he shows "white porn," and politicians make promises to the impoverished people, who in turn decry the Western big business that is plundering their mineral resources. Many of them want to emigrate to Europe, assuming that they would have a chance at a better life there. Most of them talk as if they're giving a museum tour, at a leisurely pace and in a measured tone, which also stands in sharp contrast to the hectic world of the race.