The desert in its
symbolic value as the last territory before the boundary of the world, a
hostile and inhospitable paradise representing the only bond left with the
primitive state of the Earth. In this environment the most profound existential
experiences can occur. Here American Indians, bedouins and shamans practice the
cult of absolute freedom. But the presence of Western civilization is a threat
for the balance that man and nature have achieved in these desolate lands. The
Shashone Indians' water reservoirs are contaminated by radioactive waste, the
Acatama desert in Chile is spoilt by the largest copper mine in the open air.
But "death and life, devastation end rebirth are both part of the desert's
mystery.
