Ma‘rib

Summary

Ma′rib

Ma′rib is part two of a tetralogy dealing with cities that had been destroyed in their history. Each film of the series is connected to one of the four elements. Ma′rib is connected to the element "earth" in the form of sand, soil and stone. The city is situated 150 km east of the capital Sana′a where the Yemeni mountains meet the Rhub al-Khali desert. 4000 diesel pumps irrigate the oasis and a new power station will supply Sana′a with electricity. With no dialogues or narration, Ma′rib proposes an exploration of particular habits, rhythms and gestures of an arid region in a rugged country – until it transforms immediate register into unfamiliar everyday life, in a constant zigzag between sociological observation and sudden poetry.

Source: German Films Service & Marketing GmbH