Disappearing World

The Mursi, the inhabitants of the Omo Valley on the far edge of southwest Ethiopia feel that after a series of natural and man-made disasters, the land they live on is turning against them. Despite this they remain faithful to old ways and traditions, herding cattle and cultivating sorghum, even as the Omo's flood level drops continuously.

Documents the Nitha or age set ceremony of the Mursi tribe of Ethiopia, wherein, under the guidance of an elder, participants act out the conflict between generations preparatory to the bestowal of adulthood and authority on the initiates.

Faced with a harsh climate and poor soil, the Rrogamis, inhabitants of a northern Albanian alpine valley, survive now as in the past by keeping sheep and goats. With the government redistributing land and animals to the peasants, the young taking over village rule, and communities recovering their autonomy, the future of Rrogam is hard to predict.