Underplayed Gems

On the Road to Timbuktu: Explorers in Africa (1999)

On the Road to Timbuktu: Explorers in Africa poster
Directed by
Jean-Claude Lubtchansky
Genre
documentary film
Country
France
Runtime
52 min
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This documentary traces the journeys of three European explorers who traveled through Africa in the 19th century. Mungo Park, Rene Caille, and Heinrich Barth each sought to reach the legendary city of Timbuktu.

informativereflectivemethodicalhistoriceducationalquietly pacedcontemplativesober

What happens

On the Road to Timbuktu: Explorers in Africa (French: Vers Tombouctou : L'Afrique des explorateurs; German: Auf nach Timbuktu!) is a 1999 documentary film adapted from French historian Anne Hugon's nonfiction book of the same name. Directed by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky, and co-produced by Trans Europe Film, La Sept-Arte and Éditions Gallimard, with voice-over narration by French actors François Marthouret, Yves Lambrecht, and German actor Richard Sammel. The film follows in the footsteps of Mungo Park, René Caillié and Heinrich Barth, the three explorers who have become legends both in Europe and in Africa. The documentary was broadcast on Arte on 6 November 1999, as part of the channel's television programme The Human Adventure. It has been dubbed into German, however, it is unclear whether the film is available in English. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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