This documentary about a simple, aging farmer from the arid climes of Burkina Faso plays out like a colossal Ayn Rand-ian tale about the transcendent power of determined individualism in the face of communal adversity. Yacouba Sawadogo, the central figure in director Mark Dodd's The Man Who Stopped the Desert, made advances in agricultural production so radical and iconoclastic that for years he was shunned by many in his rural Sahel community as a madman—before eventually being proclaimed a genius. “It's when you have enemies that you know you've done some good,” says Sawadogo, whose ancient technique of digging planting pits—known as “zai”—made it possible to grow crops on land that had become “degraded” from lack of adequate rainfall. Narration by British actor Hugh Quarshie offers background information, while surprisingly well-staged dramatizations depict Sawadogo's hardscrabble upbringing in the tough local Muslim schools, as well as his stint as a successful trader in the bustling local market—until the day he suddenly quit and returned to the “bush” to fulfill his calling. An amazing true story of a humble peasant who not only singlehandedly brought fertility back to a desert community but also succeeded where international agricultural organizations had previously failed, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)
The Man Who Stopped the Desert
(2010) 64 min. DVD: $89: high schools & public libraries; $250: colleges & universities. 1080 Film and Television (dist. by The Video Project). PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 26, Issue 6
The Man Who Stopped the Desert
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: