The Orchard Keepers

The Orchard keepers takes us on a journey into the rugged the Sinai desert. Behind intricate stonewalls we meet Dr. Ahmad, the last surviving herbalist trained in the ancient ways of desert healing. But it is Amariya – the resilient and exuberant naturalist whose scars and charms dominate the tale. Her relationship to the land has transformed her life in unlikely ways. The Orchard keepers pays homage to her hypnotic freedom. For filmmaker Bryony Dunne, what began as a short photography trip to focus on the few remaining orchards, evolved into a personal breakthrough. After living for a year with the Gabaliya tribe, she gained unique insight into the stratified tribal structures and layers of myth that enshroud the mountain region. (Antropofest)