NAMIBIA: THE CAULDRON OF THE DEVIL | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

Namibia is a vast expanse of territory almost twice the size of France. It is one of the most sparsely populated countries on Earth with less than three million inhabitants. On the chaotic roads of the north-west, under a beating sun, the women of the Himba tribe go to funerals packed into the back of an old pick-up. These women wear traditional dress throughout the year. Whether in the desert or in the supermarket, their bodies and their hair are coated with red powder mixed with grease. A garb that is not at all to the liking of another tribe: the Herero women dress like early 19^th-century Germans and they are quick to remark to the Himba that it’s rude to stroll around naked in front of the whole world! However, the Himba have other concerns: in this quasi-desert country, there’s a cruel lack of water and the women scour the desert to fill their cans from puddles formed by the too-infrequent rains. Others ferry the precious liquid in ancient trucks, criss-crossing the bush to deliver water to remote villages. But, in Namibia, a roadside breakdown presents a deadly danger…