Herdsmen of the Sun

Werner Herzog considers his "Wodaabe - Die Hirten der Sonne. Nomaden am Südrand der Sahara" ("Herdsmen of the Sun" in English) not an ethnographic documentary, but simply a study of the human condition at that particular time on the planet. This look at the Wodaabe people of Niger gives one a glimpse into how people lived communally for centuries.

Watching it, I wondered if the Wodaabe still live as shown in the documentary. There's bound to have been all sorts of challenges to their way of life, whether environmental or political.

Anyway, this is one documentary that I highly recommend. You won't regret having watched it and learned about the Wodaabe.

Herzog's documentary of the Wodaabe people of the Sahara/Sahel region. Particular attention is given to the tribe's spectacular courtship rituals and 'beauty pageants', where eligible young men strive to outshine each other and attract mates by means of lavish makeup, posturing and facial movements.

They are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel, with migrations stretching from southern Niger, through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, southwestern Chad, and the western region of the Central African Republic. Today (2016) they are estimated to number around 100,000.

I have to thank Herzog for this document. I am not sure if I had heard of the Wodaabe before, but they are a fascinating people, mixing African traditions with Islamic culture, and certainly a variety of their own practices. The makeup and other modifications almost make them look fake, like china dolls or some such thing. Why they consider themselves such beautiful people is easy to see.

Herdsmen of the Sun is one of Werner Herzog's more under-seen documentary featurettes, which like Lessons of Darkness is shorter than an hour, probably with enough time for a few commercials if need be (both were shot for, or at least meant for, television broadcast on German networks). But it casts a light on a society of outcasts, and through Herzog's unblinking observations on them gets out what is something of a consistency in his catalog of work: the theme of outcasts who've created an insulated world for themselves, thanks (or rather no thanks) to factors of their infrastructure and how they communicate. It probably has some company to share alongside the likes of Even Dwarfs Started Small, or even Stroszek. If this one is any different it's because there's more of an issue with nature itself- because of a long-standing drought, many were put in a position of having to fend for the lowest common denominator (there's the insinuation many died in the interim, or those who couldn't sell their herds in time).

If Herdsmen of the Sun stands out in as a Herzog film it's because it showcases the director as anthropologist. His narration details the mating habits as if these were any other species of animal: the ritualistic nature of preparations with make-up of the men and the contortions of the facial expressions (even more fascinating is to hear how they stand seven feet tall, no tippy-toes). Although one might expect the main difference between Herdsmen of the Sun and any given National Geographic TV doc is that the people on camera look right at it, Herzog uses this to an effect that's rather challenging, and even stirring to the mind. Like in Fata Morgana- the opening shot here also a mirage- it's about the faces themselves, expression, and how one looks and has a personality even more-so through having to put on a sort of act for a strange thing like a camera. Equally good are the candid moments when one sees Woodabe talking just like any other guy or woman at a bar, about their latest sexual conquests or crushes.

It's actually sort of charming, in Herzog's skewed, sad viewpoint, as is a lot of the film under moments of recognition of the estrangement of the other under somber opera music.

This film leaves so many important details out. There are many questions I had after seeing the film that could have been answered easily.

In addition, the somber tone of the film, combined with the classical European songs dubbed over footage of the Wodaabe, gave the film a unique feeling of looking in from a colonialist perspective. Not the type of mood one wants to set when making an essentially anthropological film.

As a peek into the lifestyle and culture of a foreign people, the film did not fail completely. But, with so many other statements being made, the focus was really taken away from what would appear to be a really interesting group of people.

Herzog with his usual interesting subject that just needs to be filmed and with the uneasy feeling that he is directing everyone's actions--- This is a good one to find if you are a Herzog fan--- stands tall to any of his best documentaries--- I felt that i was seeing something that could vanish in the near future--- one of Herzog's ideas about being 'outside' civilization to where nature is more powerful than man--- in this case i remember watching the film at a friend's place in Queens and felt that the whole movie was an good analogy to the dating scene in N.Y.C--- or in western culture--- where the 'image' of a person was a very important thing and somehow this film was about revealing how that isn't necessarily a superficial thing---