!Aitsa

The semi-desert landscape of the Karoo region in South Africa spans 50,000,000 hectares – a huge, arid nothingness. Here, in the cradle of humankind, a great, magical silence reigns. "Our nothingness is what made the world interested in us”, says the pastor of the desert town of Carnarvon. In the vastness of the arid region, construction has begun on a spectacular research project: the world's largest telescope, which will be capable of exploring the dark nether regions of the cosmos and provide insights into the origin of the universe. Right next to the telescope facility are countless prehistoric stones with fossils and engravings. The film poetically juxtaposes modern science, the ancient history of the area, and the traditional rituals and concepts of the local population. People from the research project and historians have their say, as do numerous locals, who speak of the legacy of colonialism and of the area's spiritual wisdom that is deeply embedded in their culture.