In January 2011 the international Festival au Desert took place over three days in the dunes of Timbuktu, Mali, in West Africa. Hosted by the Tuareg or Kel Tamasheq, as they call themselves, the festival is the ideal setting for an encounter with this legendary people. Through intimate insight into nomadic life and ancient traditions, the Kel Tamasheq tell us of their plight, their fears and their fight for survival.