Matière Première

Directed by Jean-François Reverdy

The journey proceeds on desertic lands. Starting with the laborers quarrying red dirt at open-air mines, it follows the iron ore all the way to the ocean, aboard the world's longest train. At the end, the wrecks scattered on the beach announce the voyage's end. Meanwhile, bound for prosperous countries, the cargo of valuable ore is heaped into the holds of ships at the dock. This film uses the pinhole camera device, one of the earliest ways of capturing reality. The technique yields an unusual perception of the desert's geology, light, machines, and men.