A desert wedding with armed guards
By Rob Sullivan: Producer
Niger is one of the most dangerous countries in the world – a hotspot for Islamist terrorists, the main threat is being kidnapped.
We have a military escort with us at all times and are also under the protection of our hosts
We have a military escort with us at all times and are also under the protection of our hosts, one of the most noble Tuareg clans in the Sahara - so we're feeling totally safe.
Agadez is an ancient desert city, a crossroads for great caravans of camels and these days, for people traffickers. We witness several pick-up trucks loaded with migrants pass through heading to Libya.
It's a strange place - it feels like you’re on the very edge of the world.
The wedding is in a dried out river valley beyond town – two days of camel racing, dancing and feasting.
It is 46 °C with the occasional dust storm, so not easy conditions for filming.
It is 46 °C with the occasional dust storm, so not easy conditions for filming. We start at 7am and finish at 3am the following morning when the bride is finally taken to meet the groom in their wedding tent.
The music is totally hypnotic and at one point we are surrounded by about 500 dancing Tuareg men in turbans with their faces veiled and all you can see are hundreds of eyes in the darkness.
The atmosphere is like nothing I’ve ever felt. It is a very rare experience and not something many Europeans ever get to see: an authentic Tuareg wedding in the desert.
It's a great relief to make it home safe and sound, thanks to the warmth and kindness of our hosts.
