Charles Bonnet, 71, is one of Europe's leading archeologists. Geneva-born Bonnet, originally a wine grower, has been combing through the sands of northern Sudan for 40 years. His work has exposed the importance of the Nubian civilisation, the famous "black pharaohs", and of Kerma, the first capital of the great Nubian empire. The major findings made by him and his team have enabled the Sudanese population, which has been torn apart by decades of civil war, to rediscover some of its national identity.


This film follows Charles Bonnet and his archeological dig. His team consists of ten or so researchers including Mathieu Honegger, a young prehistorian who has just discovered the oldest necropolis in the Nile valley at Kerma, and Louis Chaix, a former Beneditine monk and retired archaeozoologist. Year after year they return to Sudan hoping to make more exciting discoveries.

documentary | 52 minutes | 2005 | color | 16/9 | betacam digital

Original version: French; subtitles: English

With Charles Bonnet, Louis Chaix and Matthieu Honegger Cinematography Camille Cottagnoud Sound Beat Lambert, Bernard Seidler Editing Bruno Saparelli Music Jean-Philippe Zwahlen Sound mix Yannick Dumartineix 3D Images Sapristi Studio, Lausanne: Nicolas Lambelet, Jean Deppierraz, ART+COM, Berlin:Virtual Archeology, Pawel Wolf, Stephen Kirchner, interface.group GmbH, Jürgen Weissig Journalist Sylvie Rossel Directed by Stéphane Goël Production Climage Coproduction Télévision Suisse Romande: Daniel Monnat, Eric Burnand, Steven Artels, Monique Dobretz, SSR SRG Idée Suisse: Alberto Chollet, ARTE G.E.I.E.: Annie Bataillard, Christian Cools Financial support La Direction du Développement et de la Coopération (DDC), La Fondation Vaudoise pour le Cinéma, Fonds Regio Films, Succès passage antenne, La commune de Satigny With the collaboration of RTBF - Télévision Belge: Claire Colart World sales Climage and TPI

© CLIMAGE, TSR, ARTE 2005

Festivals
FIFME Toulon, FIPATEL Biarritz, Journées de Soleure, AGON Thessalonique, ZIFF Zanzibar, Festival du film scientifique Oullins, Pan African Film Festival Los Angeles.
Grand Prize at the Festival du film archéologique de Bruxelles, at the Festival Internacional de Cine Arqueolgico del Bidasoa in Irun (Spain) and at the Festival Icronos de Bordeaux.
Honourable mention at the Festival CINARCHEA Kiel and The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival Eugene (USA).