Dakar: Race Against The Desert—a 90-minute documentary following the journey of some of Dakar’s most iconic racers—releases on May 13.
Photos Courtesy of Danny Dek / Red Bull Studios
Director Jalil Lespert and his production team used drones and cameras, both in-car and on-site, to capture intimate moments of more than a dozen racers, along with their families and crews, during the 2023 Dakar.
The film reveals insights from Dakar pioneers, such as Stephane Peterhansel, and veterans, such as two-time Dakar motorcycle champ Toby Price. It also spotlights rising stars, including Mason Klein and Seth Quintero.
Dakar: Race Against The Desert is set for digital release in the USA on May 13. It will be available for rent or purchase on the major platforms, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, iTunes, Google Store, DirecTV, Fandango and more.
Check out the official trailer below:
Dakar: Race Against the Desert | Official Trailer
Here is more information from the film’s production notes:
8549 kilometers. 16 days. 383 drivers.
Dakar: Race Against the Desert weaves a story of determination as racers brave the ultimate off-road motorsport test.
For 45 years, the Dakar Rally has been the ultimate test of resilience, skill, and endurance, spanning 9000 kilometers over 14 days of grueling desert terrain. With unprecedented access, this film dives into the world’s toughest race, following legends like Sebastien Loeb, reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, and pioneers Carlos Sainz and Stephane Peterhansel. It also spotlights rising stars like Mason Klein, a fearless rookie, and veterans like Toby Price, who may face his final Dakar on a motorbike. Across categories—from T1 Cars to T3 UTVs— men, women, and newcomers push their limits, confront fierce competition, and battle the elements. Dakar: Race Against the Desert is a breathtaking testament to courage, endurance, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.
Director’s Statement
“At the core of the film Dakar is director Jalil Lespert’s (Room 2806: the DSK case, Yves Saint- Laurent) yearning to demystify and immerse himself in an unknown, enigmatic world, rich with visual promise—the iconic Dakar Motor Rally and the world of Motorsports at large. The Dakar Rally is a misunderstood institution—at times criticized for political reasons—whose protagonists seldom speak out or express themselves, out of modesty. This air of mystery gave Jalil the perfect opportunity to flip the narrative and portray a side of the Dakar Rally that has never been seen before.
Jalil spent 18 months, accompanied by a nimble production team, filming with the families of a dozen drivers and racing legends, allowing him to forge meaningful bonds and trusting relationships with his carefully-cast heroes. Through them, Jalil took a deep dive into the mysteries and secrets of Dakar and managed to extract the essence of the race in its purest form.
In this film, Jalil Lespert borrows from the codes of cinema, adopting visual and narrative devices that stand out from “classical” documentary storytelling, to portray the drivers as heroes of fiction, doing justice to the epic emotions they experience. By filming as closely as possible and avoiding head-on interviews in favor of dialogue and a variety of camera angles, Jalil captures the drivers in their most intimate moments, accessing their innermost feelings, hopes, fears, and exposing the humanity of these seemingly invincible daredevils.
In the process, Jalil also captures the Dakar of tomorrow: modern, inclusive, and environmentally conscious. A world in which Middle Eastern society plays a key role and is uninhibited by the clichés and biases that have historically burdened this blossoming region. A future-forward Dakar that is gender-inclusive, welcomes young up-and-coming drivers, and embraces electric and hybrid vehicles. With minimal archival excerpts, the result is an authentic documentary film enhanced by exceptionally poetic narration and a bespoke musical score that feels more like a narrative, cinematic, experience than a traditional documentary.
As the first and only feature documentary about the Dakar Rally, Dakar: Race Against The Desert seeks to pull back the curtain of this mythical race to show it for what it really is: An epic contemporary playground for motorsports that defies all pre-conceived notions about racing and ventures to predict what the future of racing will look like. The journey of this film is filled with discovery, curiosity and adventure, reflecting the journey the audience will embark on with these drivers. The film’s aim is to redefine the audiovisual experience of the rally, reactivating audiences’ passion for a visionary race, who’s starting and finish line topped network ratings, when broadcast on TV only a couple of decades ago.”
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