After exploring the themes of courage, breath, the desert, silence, desire and joy through her works, the speaker and adventurer, Blanche de Richemont, invites us on a captivating journey to Mauritania, where all these elements intermingle harmoniously.
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For more than two decades, she has surveyed this infinite expanse, captivated by its silence and its grandeur.
After following a salt caravan, sharing the daily life of the men who made it up, the writer turned to the women of the desert, thus discovering an essential part of the soul of these arid lands.
These extraordinary women, guardians of the desert, whose wisdom and resilience can only inspire.
In the documentary
Mauritania: in search of Women of the Desert
, broadcast on Arte this Monday March 18 at 12:30 p.m., Blanche de Richemont takes us by the hand and invites us to dive into the heart of the nomadic communities of Mauritania to better understand how these women perceive their role in this unique environment.
Also read: Blanche de Richemont: “Perseverance is the hand of courage”
A privileged witness to the resilience of her women in the face of the challenges of life in the desert, the philosopher modestly reveals to us their inner strength which guides them through sandstorms and long walks under the burning sun.
Through their confidences, we understand that for these women, the desert is much more than just a place, it is a sacred space where family and community ties are forged, where traditions and ancestral knowledge are transmitted... despite the pressures of the modern world.
LE FIGARO - How long did it take you to prepare this documentary?
Blanche DE RICHEMONT -
With director Augustin Viatte, we wrote this documentary for more than a year.
I went on a scouting trip to meet these women who were going to carry the voice of the desert, then we reshaped the text for many months before leaving for three weeks to shoot.
What memory(s) do you keep from this experience?
I was very disturbed by these women who wanted to feminize me, make me wear the Melhfa their traditional outfit, so light and colorful, teach me to walk and carry water cans with grace.
Some even gave me a forced manicure!
But what struck me most was the power of the gaze of the old nomad who closes the film.
The peace that reigned in her tent, this magic that embraced us all as we shot our last images near her.
“I want viewers to want to go into the desert, sleep under a collapse of stars, leave everything to come back better”
Blanche of Richemont
One thing you would like viewers to do after seeing this film?
That they want to go into the desert, sleep under a collapse of stars, leave everything to better return and meet these women of the sands who are so courageous and gentle and everything they teach us.
Do you prefer to imagine and film a documentary or write a book?
For my books, I look for words that come from silence.
For this documentary, I looked for the words that revealed the images.
It really has nothing to do with it.
This was a new and not easy exercise for me.
And it's beautiful to work as a team, to come together with the director and the producers to together best serve the subject.
Next time... Shall we see you on screen or in writing?
I am releasing a book at the end of September about Isabelle Eberhardt who went to the Sahara dressed as a boy in 1900. She has fascinated me for twenty years and accompanied me to the desert.
So in this book I tell how his story resonates with mine.
It's going to be called The Girl from the Desert.
A life with Isabelle Eberhardt (Presses de la Cité)
When will a documentary be made?
When I can hold a camera and not just a pencil...