Sahara (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ajar disguises himself as a green snake to enter the Oasis, which is a forbidden haven reserved only for wealthy green snakes. As a Dusty (desert snake), he is rejected by the community and labeled a loser. The Oasis represents his dream of belonging somewhere he could never normally access.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Saladin belittles Ajar and Pitt, establishing why Ajar desperately seeks acceptance beyond the desert.

• ajar disguise
• green snake
• oasis
• dusty
• social outcast

Omar uses a magic flute that produces a hypnotic melody, putting snakes under his spell. When Eva tries to escape, the flute's music pulls her back against her will. The flute is his tool for capturing and controlling snakes for his shopfront performances.

Foreshadowing: The Oasis is portrayed as glittering but exclusive, setting up Eva's reason for leaving.

• omar flute
• hypnosis
• snake charmer
• captivity

Ajar cannot swim, which becomes apparent when he and Eva leap into the river to escape Secretary birds. His disguises wash away in the water, and he begins to drown. Eva must save him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, revealing his vulnerability despite his bold personality.

• ajar drowning
• river
• rescue
• swimming

Gary, Eva's lazy but loyal brother, has no friends and feels isolated even among green snakes. When Ajar uses him as a hostage to escape the Secretary birds, Gary surprisingly finds friendship and purpose. He then genuinely helps Ajar because he finally feels valued and connected to someone.

Foreshadowing: Gary admits to Ajar at the oasis that he has never had friends before.

• gary
• eva brother
• friendship
• loyalty

When Ajar and Gary find Eva trapped in Omar's cage, they see George the green snake embracing her. Ajar misinterprets this moment as romantic, nearly giving up on the rescue. In reality, George was simply comforting Eva while they were captive, not pursuing a relationship.

Foreshadowing: The audience sees Eva and Ajar's connection earlier, making Ajar's misunderstanding temporary.

• george
• eva
• misunderstanding
• cage rescue

Omar chases Ajar to the top of a mosque during the sandstorm. When he tries to grab the flute, it breaks. He catches Ajar to save him from falling, but in the struggle, Ajar's skin peels away (snake shedding). Omar then vanishes into the sandstorm. Later, he reappears but is defeated when Pitt stings him, and he introduces the group to Emily, showing his reformation.

Foreshadowing: Omar's obsessive pursuit of the flute drives the chase sequence.

• omar defeat
• mosque
• sandstorm
• sting

When Omar grabs Ajar to keep him from falling off the mosque during the sandstorm, Ajar's outer skin peels away. This is a natural snake behavior, snakes shed their skin periodically. The intense struggle and friction trigger the shedding, symbolizing Ajar's transformation and vulnerability in that moment.

• skin peeling
• snake shedding
• mosque
• transformation

The fast-talking sandfish sings about a possible future where Ajar and Eva return to the Oasis and teach Dusties and green snakes to live together as equals. The song is open-ended, suggesting hope for unity and social change, though it remains uncertain whether this will actually happen.

• sandfish song
• coexistence
• oasis
• dusty green snakes
• unity

Pitt, being a scorpion, naturally stings when he feels threatened or panicked. When the trio escapes on a Secretary bird, Pitt accidentally stings it in a moment of fear, causing the bird to pass out. This forces Ajar, Gary, and Pitt to flee on foot instead of flying to safety.

• pitt sting
• secretary bird
• scorpion
• accident

Saladin is an older, more respected cobra who views Dusties as inferior. He openly mocks Ajar and Pitt, steals their watermelon, and treats them as outcasts. This discrimination drives Ajar's determination to prove himself by reaching the Oasis and finding acceptance elsewhere.

Foreshadowing: Saladin's cruelty establishes the social hierarchy that Ajar seeks to escape.

• saladin
• bullying
• social hierarchy
• dusty outcast

Omar is a snake charmer who captures snakes to display in his shop for entertainment. He takes Eva because she is a beautiful green snake who would be a prized addition to his collection. He plans to use his flute to keep her under his control, like the other captured snakes.

• omar captures eva
• snake charmer
• collection