Armand Denis Wheels Across Africa (1936)

Synopsis

Wheels Across Africa” is an expedition documentary by Belgian-born filmmaker Armand Denis about a trip across Africa in Dodge trucks circa 1936. The black-and-white promotional documentary, presented by the Dodge Dealers of America, focuses on Denis and his wife Leila Roosevelt Denis (a cousin of Theodore Roosevelt) as they take an 18-month journey through the Belgian Congo and the Sahara Desert on motor driven Dodge vehicles. It takes the viewer quickly through Belgium, France, and Spain, across the Straits of Gibraltar to the African continent (mark 01:55 ) and the town of Moulay Idriss (mark 02:10 ) during an annual festival and the camera captures fire dancers, glass eaters, and other “entertainers” who come from throughout Morocco. There are scenes from a traditional sheep marketplace (mark 04:19 ), rug makers, and tailors. Crossing the frozen Atlas Mountains at mark 06:37, the expedition makes its way into the adjoining valley before entering the Sahara at mark 08:45. From there the viewer journeys to an oasis and scenes of a garrison of French colonial troops storming past on horseback (mark 13:00 ) before the expedition heads into the desert (mark 14:02 ), encountering sandstorms before successfully stopping for supplies at an outpost. By mark 19:30, as their desert journey continues, the convoy encounters nomadic Tuareg travelers at a well who share their water and perform traditional dances, all of which is captured on film. As the film continues, the viewer is…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

50 minutes

Language

English

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage