First of all, it's important to note that the film's core message is so important that otherwise major flaws can be tolerated, if not entirely overlooked. Basically, there are three parts to the film, the environmental story of the Sahel region of Africa, the socio-economic story of the countries of the region, and the story of an entertainer lending her service to highlight the problems.
Where the film is strongest is with the local people interviewed, describing their everyday struggles and efforts to make change. Add in some traditional local music and there is a truly magnetic atmosphere created. This falters a bit when it turns into the pop/hip-hop interpretations, which frankly, are rather ordinary, rarely rising above hollow platitudes.
It seems that the great compromise of this project was deciding how to create interest in the not terribly sexy topic of fighting desertification and mass emigration. The storyteller, Inna Modja, is a terrifically motivating force in the film, but it never quite escapes the viewers' minds that a good deal of the film is spent showcasing her talents as a singer. I have no doubt Ms. Modja is sincere in her quest, but the filmmakers do run dangerously close to becoming cloying and exploitative of her celebrity. It's true she makes for an attractive ambassador of the message, but scenes with orphaned children and unsuccessful migrants lose a bit of their emotional impact with extreme closeups, reactions shots of her shedding tears and trying to gather herself (and it should be noted, impeccably coiffed and made up for cameras).
But even with all that stated, the film works to educate and motivate. I imagine that the film, without the pop star panache, may have been yet another dry eco-film easily forgotten. It's a film well worth the time, and as stated in the film, development never stops. It has informed me of something of which I was largely ignorant, and has motivated me to learn more about the situation, and what can be done. In that way, it is an unconditional success.
