What has happened in the Sahel region of North Africa in the 12 years since drought and starvation there were on the front pages of the world press? This melancholic film tells us that although the problems on the borders of the Sahara no longer make headlines, the ever-encroaching dunes refuse to go away.

Trees, sorely needed to halt the desertification of the Sahel, are also the only source of energy for an ever-growing population. The delicate ecological balance is in mortal danger. The key to successful efforts to reverse the trend lies with the people of the Sahel; only time will tell whether they will win, or the sand.