Blood Oasis - synopsis

 

Blood Oasis opens with Gurk readying explosives to destroy the Trading Post that has been his life for the last ten years. He has heard that 300 camel-riding terrorists, under the leadership of Ndongoi, are heading his way and his life, livelihood and treasures are all under threat. One last trade will supply him with a dozen camels to escape with his horde and retire somewhere safe.

 

His Trading Post has the only water for miles around and is a strategic objective for the terrorists – so Gurk will destroy the well that he sunk all those years ago and leave nothing for the raiders. The last reluctant trade is the beautiful Sukari – where he is middle-manning the deal between a village and a Sudanese Harem that saves the village from starvation at the cost of one of their daughters. The facts of life in Darfur are heavily on show. Before the deal can be completed a damaged helicopter lands for repairs and brings to the oasis Linda, a Hollywood star who is on a mission to visit the poor and dying children of the region and bring publicity to their plight.

 

Gurk and Linda create sparks immediately and her dislike of him increases when she finds out that he is trading slaves.  He tries to explain the way of the world in that part of the world but her liberal sensibilities will have none of it. She offers him a deal where she will buy Sukari. This, in itself is problematical, because if Gurk doesn’t go through with the original agreement he will have to deal with the Sudanese War Lord as well as Ndongoi’s terrorist army – and Sukari’s village would probably be destroyed by one of them just to make a point.

 

Linda is insistant and an extraordinary arrangement is struck – however, all does not go to plan and Sukari is returned just as the army of cameleers is approaching. Linda refuses to leave and while the pilot goes for help Linda, Sukari and Gurk prepare to face an enemy. Outnumbered 100 to 1, but with water, ammunition and a well prepared stronghold they hold off Ndongoi and his men until water and thirsty camels make a negotiated peace more palatable. Who can be trusted and how many of our three survive?

 

Clever staging brings the battle into the theatre with a nail-biting and staggering conclusion.