The event, a benefit for the H20 Africa Foundation, was emceed by WFMY-TV anchorman Kent Bates. Richard Eldridge, one of the film’s producers, was also on hand. The film depicts the grueling, 111-day journey in which extreme athletes Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin traveled the Sahara on foot — a seemingly inhuman feat that tallied some 4,600 miles on some of the most punishing places on the planet.
Engle, a Greensboro resident who was profiled in a January issue of YES! Weekly, was also present at the screening, and received a rousing round of applause when introduced.
In addition to the sheer accomplishment of such a feat as running across the Sahara Desert, the three runners also wanted to draw attention to the plight of the millions of people in the region who lack clean water.
“There is no one on earth who should not have clean water,” Engle said. Proceeds from the screening would be enough to fund five wells in Africa, thereby bringing the indigenous population something they desperately need. Throughout the film, the runners encounter people who lack the sorts of amenities that many Westerners take for granted. For many of them, the difference between life and death is, simply, clean water. Although the film focuses on the ultimately triumphant attempt by the three runners, it also explores the plight of these people, and it is unforgettably conveyed.
“Once something is seen,” noted Engle, “it cannot be unseen.” The three runners, accompanied by a camera crew and a support team, averaged 42 miles a day on their journey, despite the physical and emotional toll of the journey, as well as the punishing terrain and the weather. There was also the matter of dealing with entry into various countries.
Libya was by far the most reticent, refusing to grant permission until literally the last minute. Produced and directed by James Moll (Oscar winner for the 1998 documentary The Last Days), Running the Sahara is narrated by executive producer Matt Damon. The film will be released on DVD later this year. Later, Engle joked, “don’t believe everything you see in the movie,” referring to scenes in which he loses his temper.
He is by far the most impassioned of the three runners, and given the arduousness of the trek, one can easily understand his sometimes abrasive behavior. The film doesn’t shy away from the harsher aspects of the journey, nor its effects upon its participants. For Engle, and for those who ran the Sahara, it was “a life-changing experience,” he said.
For more information about the film, visit the official website: www.runningthesahara.com
•••
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance has
an evening of music and mirth on tap this weekend, with its special
presentation of “Spend the Night with the Queen of Comedy and the King
of Rock and Roll.” This “Silver Series” event showcases the talents of
local comedian Sarah Barnhardt and rock ‘n’ roll tribute artist
David Joy, both of whom have also done some pretty sharp acting onstage
in area theater productions. Here, they’ll be doing their best to keep
audiences rocking in their seats and rolling in the aisles.
Showtimes
are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday at Theatre Alliance’s new
performance space, 1047 Northwest Blvd., Winston-Salem. All seats are
$10. Next up for Theatre Alliance will be next month’s presentation of
the award-winning stage musical Reefer Madness, based on the
infamous 1930s B-movie that depicted, in harrowing and uncompromising
fashion, the devastating consequences of that wacky weed. One puff is
all it takes… (For one thing, it makes you play the piano really,
really fast.) To reserve tickets for “Spend the Night” or for more
information about Theatre Alliance’s upcoming productions, call
336.768.5655 or check out the official website: www.wstheatrealliance.org.
To comment on this story, e-mail Mark Burger at marksburger@yahoo.com.
