Morocco – Saving My Oasis

360° immersive film

Halim Sbai has seen his childhood oasis town M’Hamid El Ghizlane, being covered with sand because of desertification. Today, he stands on a riverbed that the sun has burned to hardpan. In the 1980s, the Oasis stretched across 37m². However, only a third remains, with the rest having been buried under sand dunes. The oasis is dying along with Sbai’s ancestors, who once defended the oasis against French colonial rulers and corrupt officials. Now, Sbai sees himself playing a similar role as his ancestors. But the enemy has become more diffuse, more threatening, and far more difficult to fight. Sbai knows the dangers. Besides, it’s already possible to observe here today what will soon threaten millions of people throughout the entire Mediterranean region, including Southern Europe. However, Sbai is doggedly fighting for the oasis, planting palms and protecting their most valuable commodity: water. Visiting the Nomads of Sahara, he comes up with an idea to win over the desert.

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Two persons sitting on a dune in Morocco.