Bringing the Sahara to Charlotte
April 29th, 2009 by Matt Brunson in Film, Film News
Charlie Engle training by his home in Greensboro, N.C. (All photos by Don Holtz)
A special one-night-only screening of the documentary Running the Sahara will be presented this Thursday, April 30, at the Ballantyne Village Theatre. Narrated by Matt Damon (who also serves as executive producer) and directed by James Moll (an Oscar winner for the Holocaust documentary The Last Days), the film focuses on three marathoners — North Carolina native Charlie Engle, Taiwan’s Kevin Lin and Ontario’s Ray Zahab — as they take part in a 111-day, 4,300-mile trek across the Sahara Desert. In addition to centering on the men’s daunting odyssey, the picture also brings attention to the clean water crisis in Africa.
Ray Zahab, Charlie Engle and Kevin Lin get ready at the expedition's starting line in St. Louis, Senegal, while the film crew documents the event
The reception for VIP ticket holders starts at 7 p.m., followed by the screening at 7:45 p.m. Engle will be on hand and will host a live Q&A after the showing. VIP tickets cost $35 and include the reception, screening, Q&A, and a gift bag. General admission tickets run $18 and include the screening, Q&A and concession specials. To reserve tickets, go here. For more information on the movie, go here.
The runners cross a low mountain range in Russo, Mauritania
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