In the year 2000 all the lions in a place called Selinda had been hunted virtually to extinction. Two lionesses walked around, calling into a void.
One day everything changed.
In 2006 we stopped all hunting in the area. Botswana banned all hunting in 2014. The land was primed for recovery.
Then, two males lions swam across the river from Namibia, and we filmed them the day they came in, skittish, but looking for the young females who were leaving scent.
We use sophisticated thermal cameras to cover this story and as a result, our two female characters names are hot and light, Bolelo and Lebone.
The males mated, and the 6 cubs from the two females are the core of our story as they grow, learn to hunt, and become the first pride in Selinda in many years.
What we were witnessing was the birth of a pride, and within the pride a young male character emerges, a reluctant swimmer, but one who forges a bond with the males.
Buffalo started to come in. Almost as if the area knows it was safe again, the flood returns and even more wildlife came in.
One day, the pride had to move. A major scene in the film is about this epic crossing of a river. Two females and six cubs. The females swam across with four cubs. 2 remained. They went back and forth and the two refused to move. It was a two day brain teaser for the females and finally, they saved all cubs. Once they had them, they weren’t letting them go, even into the next buffalo hunt. Tiny cubs scattered and ran under the feet of the buffalo.
All of these cubs make it to adulthood, the males eventually throw the youngsters out, and we discover that while cubs are born, it is not until this moment, when the subadults are thrown out, that a pride is born .
This is a story of success and victory over bad land use, and how wildlife can recover if left alone.
The film covers all of these and other more regularly known behavior.
It is the story of hope for big cats going forward, as we end with the notion that it is not land alone that they need, but a place in our hearts.
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Awards:
Winner Best Cinematography of a Documentary Short Film, Asian Cinematography Awards 2019
Winner Best Cinematographer of the Month, Asian Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Editing, Asian Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Documentary Cinematography, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Sound, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Editing, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Calcutta International Cult Film Festival - Best on Nature/Environment, Wildlife
Winner Best Nature / Travel Film New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) 2019
Winner Best Original Score New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) 2019
Winner Best Sound New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) 2019
Winner Best Documentary Film at the FESTPRO Film Festival in Russia 2019
Winner Docs Without Borders Film Festival
Winner NaturVision Film Festival, German Wildlife Film Award Ludwigsburg, Germany 2019
Winner Best Film Score Druk International Film Festival
Winner Best Documentary Feature 7 Colors Lagoon Bacalar International Film Festival 2019
Winner Best Edition 7 Colors Lagoon Bacalar International Film Festival 2019
Winner Best Cinematography 7 Colors Lagoon Bacalar International Film Festival 2019
Winner Best Original Music 7 Colors Lagoon Bacalar International Film Festival 2019
Winner Best Director (in the category “Nature”) at the 17th Matsalu Nature Film Festival in Estonia
Outstanding Achievement:
Druk International Film Festival for Cinematography, Editing, Sound Designer and Producer
Certificate of Achievement, Sound Design by Beverly Joubert
