Shot under extreme conditions and inspired by Mayan creation theory, the film contemplates the illusion of reality and the possibility of capturing for the camera something which is not there. It is about the mirages of nature—and the nature of mirage.

For Werner Herzog, a documentary is an act of adventure. This trek across Africa—during which Herzog and several of the crew were thrown in jail!—is a hallucinatory quest to find man’s spot in the universe, mixing pop songs and creation myths into a wonder.