Instead of establishing a traditional school, the teacher becomes increasingly entwined in the village’s mysteries, eventually encountering the "baliseurs"—mystical wanderers who appear and disappear like ghosts. Wanderers of the Desert (1984) - IMDb

Most of the village's young men have disappeared, drawn by an ancient curse to wander aimlessly into the shimmering horizon.

The story follows a young schoolteacher, Abdulsalam (played by Nacer Khemir himself), who is assigned to a remote, sun-bleached village in the Tunisian desert. Upon arrival, he discovers a world where the boundaries between reality and folklore are nonexistent:

Children run through underground labyrinths while elders dig for legendary treasures, creating a village that feels more like a living poem than a physical location.

Wanderers of the Desert (1984), directed by the Tunisian poet and filmmaker , is a landmark piece of North African cinema. Often discussed alongside its 1986 international release, the film serves as the opening chapter of Khemir’s acclaimed "Desert Trilogy," which includes The Dove’s Lost Necklace (1991) and Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (2005). Plot Overview: A Masterclass in Surrealism

Filmed in Tunisia, Wanderers of the Desert is a 1984 film by writer and director Nacer Khemir. It is a Sufi tale, based on a poem, Wanderers of the Desert (1984) - Nacer Khemir - Letterboxd