Abderrahmane Sissako, a Mauritanian filmmaker living in France, returns to the tiny village of Sokolo in Mali to see his father. In a letter prior to his arrival Sissako informs his dad that, "... an important change has occurred that will bring me back to the village: the desire to film life in Sokolo, to film life on earth, and also the desire to get away, especially knowing that soon it will be the year 2000 and that nothing will have changed for the better. You know that better than I."

This is the core of Sissako's inspiring film. While the rest of Ihe world elevates an imminent computer glitch to the status of global catastrophe, people in Mali travel by bicycle and donkey cart, operate a radio station from a picnic table, queue to use a single telephone, sing, love and laugh. Little has changed this century and not much else will alter at the opening of a new millennium.

Sissako roams the streets ot his hometown chat­ting, exploring and reminiscing. Life on Earth has an understated warmth and beauty that is connected to soil and blood, not cables and satellites. The only 'networks' in evidence are gossip grapevines, mod cons consist of bathing from a bucket—somehow life seems far richer.