Online Edition Monday, August 16, 2004
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"Wide Angle" Follows the Punishing Sahara Marathon, an Annual Race Through the Desert to Highlight the Plight of Sahrawi RefugeesScripps Howard
At a time when the world's attention is focused on the Olympics, PBS offers a look at another international sporting event that is demanding notice. Sahara Marathon, premiering Thursday, August 19 at 9 p.m. (check local listings) is the story of a unique marathon that is staged annually - in one of the world's most punishing deserts - in the hope of drawing attention to the plight of the Sahrawi people. Torn by years of bitter guerilla warfare fought against Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara in 1976, the Sahrawi are still waiting for the referendum on sovereignty promised in a UN-brokered cease-fire more than a decade ago. The story focuses on two competitors - Abdullah Mohammed, a Sahrawi self-trained runner aspiring to win the race for his people, and Jorge Aubeso, a top Spanish athlete sympathetic to the cause - who race through brutal heat and the infamous sirocco sandstorms with winds up to 60 mph. The filmmakers - ironically, one of only two media crews covering the event - have full access to this unusual race and to the all-but-forgotten story of 165,000 people who sense that the global spotlight is no longer theirs and fear that their problem may never be resolved without a return to armed conflict. This poignant story is representative of the aspirations of small, forgotten minorities, and former Cold War conflicts, throughout the world. Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, who recently resigned his position as top U.N. envoy to Western Sahara citing "frustrations," is interviewed by series host Mishal Husain after the film to put the story into context, connecting the dots for American viewers. Says Baker: "This issue is really not unlike the Arab-Israeli dispute: two different peoples claiming the same land. One is very strong, one has won the war, one is in occupation - and the other is very weak." Sahara Marathon is part of PBS's acclaimed international documentary series WIDE ANGLE, which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. through October 7. By exploring stories of real people affected by current events around the globe, WIDE ANGLE strives to present the humanity behind the headlines.
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