Ernst Aebi is one of those larger-than-life characters who stuns and also irritates people. Both sides of this Swiss/American artist, entrepreneur, and social activist are shown in Martina Egi's appealing documentary about his life and adventures. The film begins with him confidently striding across the Sahara desert — a place most of us would avoid like a plague given the dangers.
As a young man, Aebi travels the world doing sidewalk art and then decides to take up painting as a career. He and his wife raise four kids but then she leaves and he becomes a single parent. Aebi shifts gears and becomes a very successful man by converting Soho factory spaces and other business locations into lofts for artists and others. When his oldest daughter at eighteen doesn't know what to do with her life, Aebi convinces her to sail around the world in a 26-foot boat. His high energy and support launches her on her quest which she successfully completes. Several visits with his two brothers in Switzerland reveal Aebi's vagabond nature, stubbornness, and will power.
Most of this documentary deals with the artist and entrepreneur's relationship with the people who live in Arauane, a settlement in the middle of the Sahara and a seven-day camel ride from Timbuktu. Arriving there in 1989, Aebi sees great possibilities for improving the lives of the Arabs and blacks who live at this long-time oasis. He decides to stay there for three years and manages to convince the residents to plant a vegetable garden, set up a school for the children, and even build a small hotel. To accomplish all this, Aebi tries to instill in them a robust work ethic which goes against their traditional way of living. His second wife shares this mission with him.
At times, Aebi comes across as a benevolent dictator but he genuinely sees the people in this desert community as part of his extended family. The drama convincingly shows how a driven egotistical person can do good despite his need to be center stage and receive accolades. A civil war forces Aebi to leave Araouane and he doesn't return until 20 years later. What he finds is a deeply spiritual lesson about life, helping others, and impermanence.
