This unique film takes a journey down the Niger River in Mali, West Africa, past rarely seen traditional African architecture. These edifices are as visionary as anything conceived by Gaudi in the 20th century. In legendary cities like Timbuktu and Djenne, ancient mosques and palaces, some of which are more than a thousand years old, were built with mud (adobe). In the holy city of Djenne, mud architecture reached its peak in the world famous Grand Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The filmmaker was the first allowed to film the interior of this mosque. Architecture in the same tradition is also seen in remote regions on the edge of the Sahara. The power and striking beauty of African architecture is immediately apparent.

A master mason in Djenne demonstrates the magic practices his guild employs as a protective measure, inserting special papers into the walls of houses. South of Timbuktu a builder combines the seeds of different crops needed for survival in a basket which are then put under the first stone of the new building. Although Islam prohibits such spells, the builders use them anyway.

The film compares ancient African architecture to 20th century "organic" architecture as practiced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi. A famous Dutch organic architect, Max van Huut , believes modern Western architecture has contributed to alienation, whereas contemporary organic architecture, with its more human scale, contributes to a sense of community.

"Highly Recommended. The filmmakers have done a fine job in both showing us the beauty of ancient Islamic organic architecture as well as the Sudanese peoples. Traditional music floats throughout this documentary and carries us back 1,000 years into history where we can imagine the daily lives of the people who have walked in the marketplaces, lived in adobe houses, and worshipped in holy mosques." Lisa Flanzraich, Queens College, Flushing, New York for EMRO