Ässhäk - Geschichten aus der Sahara 2003

Directed by Ulrike Koch

Shots, scenery and traditions of some Tuareg (plural of Targi) tribes, the Berber pre-Arab native camel-mounted nomads of the Sahara and bordering Sahel region. Their favorite pastime are stories, mixing truth, dreams, legends and poetic liberty, mainly told by the elderly and professional "griot", in tents or by the campfire, often accompanied on the single-string imzhad bow instrument. The central concept is "asshak", their ancient honor code, which stands for virtue, Allah's will and respect for life.