The "Singing Wells" of Ethiopia - Borana People

THE WELL - Water Voices from Ethiopia

THE DIRECTORS

Paolo Barberi
Anthropologist and filmmaker, teaches cultural anthropology at the University of Rome "La Sapienza".

Mario Michelini
Geographer and filmmaker, works with the international development cooperation. He is specialized in indigenist issues.

Riccardo Russo
Geographer and filmmaker, an expert in communication and development. His research focus on social and environmental issues; he collaborates with several universities and NGO’s.

INTRODUCTION

The Well describes the life of the Borana people, a semi-nomadic shepherds tribe of South Ethiopia that struggles perennially for survival. In a dry land of astonishing beauty, during the long periods of annual drought, the Borana life revolves around ancient perpetual wells, the only resource against the tragic effects of global climate change.

SYNOPSIS

The Borana territory extends in South Ethiopia, in the Oromia dry lands. The Borana are a shepherds semi nomadic population that manages its scarce water supply through a community organization in order to assure access to this resource to everyone, without any money exchange.

Ancient hand-excavated wells, known as “singing wells” and managed with the shepherds voluntary work, allow the survival of this population and its cattle during the long periods of annual drought, when thousands of people and animals move close to the wells in search for survival. According to an unwritten rule of the wells’ management nobody can be excluded from their use. It is as if, in this remote region of the planet, water has become a symbol of union and peace even among different ethnic groups, often in conflict with one another.

The documentary follows the daily life that revolves around an ancient well, beginning with the dry season until the arrival of the long awaited rains. During this period of time each and every activity of the Borana is focused on the well.

Every day the young shepherds form human chains to be able to reach the depths of the well and to fetch out the water. Their hard work is stressed by a chant that seems to draw the great herds that are slowly moving near, after days and days of walking in search of a pasture, and are finally coming to drink. In this phase the well becomes a small integrated social system: by observing this world it is possible to understand the delicate equilibrium of the relationship between man and Nature that governs the existence of pastoralist people in Africa today.

The audience will become acquainted with the extraordinary Borana abilities to manage the water as a common good in one of the most inhospitable regions of the world.

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