Sudan - The Nubian Caravans

In conjunction with the exhibition "Nomads in the Art Salon" the "Universum" filmmaker Erich Pröll will show breathtaking films of enchanting landscapes and camel caravans of the largest African country: SUDAN.

A coexistence of the most diverse cultures characterizes the country: roughly 600 different tribes populate the multifaceted landscape of the country comprising 2.505.810 km² of the African continent. Whereas Arab culture and Islam dominate the north, mostly typical Black African people are found in the south, who have in part retained their original way of living, nomadism.

Cattle in the South – Camels in the North
What mostly cattle mean to the tribes of the south, is for the northern tribes the camel. For example, certain tribes like the Baggara have specialized in cattle breeding, or the Rashaida in the herding and trading racing camels that are highly prized in the Arab world. The tribe of the Beja and the approximately 400,000 Rashaida, who migrated from Saudi Arabia over a hundred years ago, form the largest population groups in the north of Sudan.

Sword-Fights of the Hadendoas
Probably the most well known group belonging to the Beja are the Hadendoas, the warriors of the Mahdi who still practice their sword-fighting today and are considered one of the fiercest nomadic tribes of all.

Universum filmmaker Erich Pröll
Erich Pröll has traveled through Sudan a total of eighteen times so far, shooting unique film sequences of Nubian caravans during his travels. The film lecture at Lentos is based on a selection of recent Universum productions by Erich Pröll especially compiled for this presentation.

The lecture takes place in conjunction with the exhibition "Nomads in the Art Salon", which can be viewed at Lentos until 10 September 2006.

Admission: EUR 4,-