BIIR GARDI
GUARDIAN OF THE WELL
Bentley Brown, Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene / Chad / 2025 / 6 min / Colour
Italian premiere
The camera lingers on the actions required to retrieve water from a well in the arid Chad Desert. A voice recalls a time when this land had pastures for grazing and large, populated villages. Then, many heads of livestock died from lack of water, while the sand advanced, eventually covering the fields entirely. Today, drawing water from wells is the only means for the local community to obtain the precious liquid that sustains the lives of humans and the few remaining animals. Close-ups of villagers working tirelessly at the well, animals drinking eagerly, and efforts to store and conserve every last drop of water are both striking and thought provoking. They offer a sobering reflection on the threat posed to survival in these lands by rising global temperatures.
Bentley Brown
Raised in Chad, his films focus on the region. He holds a PhD in Emerging Technologies and Media Arts Practices from the University of Colorado and is a professor at the American University of Sharjah. He has been selected for Berlinale Talents, Durban Talents, and the Africa Movie Academy Awards. His filmography includes Behind the Sun(2023), First Feature (2018), and Oustaz (2016).
Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene
A journalist and freelancer from Chad, he works as a reporter and editor for both local and international organizations. He is editor-in-chief of the news website Rafiq Info.He lives in N’Djamena.
