Living / Building

We don't need a road to be able to move, says a Chadian nomad. The desert is his backyard, and he knows every tree and bush in it. Just like him, many desert people don't see any use for a broad, paved road. Yet the road must be built, and a trip that used to take three hours will only take 30 minutes once it's finished. takes a thorough look at every aspect of the project. Construction workers and people from nearby villages speak on camera. Many young people left their homes in the area to earn money for their families. Now, thanks to the road, there's plenty of work here, too. But it's being performed by outsiders of both European and African extraction. Oddly, the latter are housed in different circumstances and camps than their European counterparts: there is a very clear hierarchy. The people briefly say something about themselves, but they are portrayed mostly in images. It gradually becomes clear that even as it is being built, the road is bringing the city and modernity ever closer. This is sure to have an effect on a population that lived in isolation until very recently.