A documentary by Adoum Moussa & Morgane Wirtz (2021)
A motorbike goes through desert landscapes, mountains, and bush.
On board, Moussa, a young turbaned Tuareg braves the dust for hundreds of kilometres. Hidden in his vehicle, about 50 tablets of tramadol, one of the most popular narcotics in West Africa.
Moussa transports them from Zinder in southern Niger to Agadez and a gold mining site in the north of the country. He runs the risk of being attacked by bandits or being arrested by the authorities. But for Moussa, this is the only job currently available.
On his way, we meet the users of this opioid. Amina and Salim were looking to chill out and have fun, but have now become addicted to tramadol. Amissou uses tramadol to face the hardness of his work in gold mines.
In Niger, taking tramadol without a prescription is punishable by two to six months’ imprisonment. But according to them, there is no other way.
Best Short Documentary at the Human Screen Festival, 2023,Tunis
Silver Tanit for Short Documentary at the JCC Carthage, 2022, Tunis
