AllMovie

In the deserts of Libya, many unexploded World War II land mines litter the sands, making travel difficult (if not impossible) for the unwary. In this story, Salim is a desert-dweller who knows where the safer passages are. He lives there with his lovely wife and children. One day, his wife stumbles onto a mine and is killed, along with their sheep. Distraught, he tries to cope with the children on his own. On the run from the authorities, Bahlool is a far less refined soul. He forcibly steals Salim's camel from him. The new widower Salim is mindful of the dangers of the mines in the desert, and perhaps he wants to retrieve his camel at the end of the journey; for whatever reason, he volunteers to guide the thief. They have many adventures until, while clearing the path for Bahlool, Salim picks up a live mine, which will explode the instant he sets it down. He asks Bahlool to dig his grave for him, and when that is done, Salim dives into it and the mine explodes, killing him as expected. Chastened by being with such a noble and courageous individual, Bahlool vows to return the camel and take care of Salim's orphans.