Johannesburg: "STAY UP - a street art film experience of Maboneng"!

Curiocity, a network of African design hostels in South Africa, has released a worth seeing documentary about street art in the Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg. Filmed during the coronavirus lockdown, the murals, that are typically a silent backdrop, came alive, telling their own stories in this uniquely empty space created by the pandemic. "STAY UP - a street art film experience of Maboneng" is a tribute to the artists that are the fabric of this neighborhood, and their work that creates the energy that Maboneng is known for. Kudos to Kim Lieberman, VHILS, the postman_art, FALKO, Remed, Snowchino, dbongz_one, Karabo Poppy, ROA, Reggiethenomad, Link1, PASTELHEART, Kazy_Usclef, Nix_indamix,Ownurcrown, SENZAART911, FreddySam, Nelson Makamo, CYRCLE, ICY SIGNS as well as to Bheki Dube of Curiocity and everyone else involved in the production of the film.

Curiocity's first hostel - Curiocity Johannesburg - was opened up by Bheki Dube in the Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg in 2013. It is one of the pioneering developments in the district that has fast become a centre of creative energy for Johannesburg's urban artists. Currently, Curiocity also has hostels located Durban (since 2016) and Cape Town (since 2019).

Documentary: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, one year after the #JKIAfire.

Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) has released a short documentary of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), one year after the unfortunate #JKIAfire.



On 07 August 2014, a fire - known as the #JKIAfire - broke out inside the main terminal building at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi completely destroying the international arrival and departure units. [more]

Kenya: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's new Greenfield Terminal (computer rendition) >>

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: Terminal facilities to get new names >>

Heavy Metal in Mozambique: "Terra Pesada" (teaser trailer)

I just stumbled on a great teaser trailer for a documentary called "Terra Pesada" about heavy metal music in Mozambique. The film tells the story of young heavy metal musicians in Mozambique and their quest to make their voices heard. Leslie Bornstein, the filmmaker, and her team follow them at home, at school, hanging out with their friends, talking about music, politics, HIV/AIDS, the wars, what their lives are like now, the difficulties they face, their hopes, dreams, ambitions, aspirations, and of course there are rehearsals and concerts.

TERRA PESADA from Wiley Flo Productions on Vimeo.

Filmmaker Leslie Bornstein, a self-proclaimed metal aficionado, initially came to visit a friend in Mozambique. They went to a heavy metal concert in the outskirts of Maputo and thats how and when the idea to shoot a documentary about the heavy metal scene in the Southern African country was born. She visited Mozambique four times so far to film the documentary and has now launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise more funds to complete the postproduction of "Terra Pesada". Please check it out and support the project if you like it. For more information about the film and the ideas behind it, visit the website of "Terra Pesada"  and/or contact Leslie.

Video: JOBURG PARTY! A snapshot of South Africa's new youth underground (8 min)

Rod Stanley and Chris Saunders, a British journalist and a South African photographer, spend two days and nights in Johannesburg to get an idea what the new youth underground in the city is like and to shoot a short documentary about it. They went to poolside jams, rooftop parties, warehouse raves, street fashion shoots and interviewed local artists, musicians, bands, crews and Djs like Chocolate, Dirty Paraffin, Richard the Third, Khaya Sibiya aka Bhubessi, YFM DJ Eda Rose, Desmond & The Tutus, Murray Turpin aka M18J92T and Jamal Nxedlana. Enjoy the great 8min snapshot of South Africa's new youth underground! Kudos Rod and Chris!

JOBURG PARTY! A snapshot of South Africa's new youth underground from Windeck Productions on Vimeo.

Night Bus: New bus service to connect Johannesburg's nightlife hotspots >>

Al Jazeera documentary "The Last Rhino" (47 min)

In the well compiled documentary "The Last Rhino" Al Jazeera's correspondent Jonah Hull investigates how South Africa became the epicentre of rhino poaching in the world. He travels around South Africa, Mozambique and Vietnam and interviews conservationists such as Dr Joseph Okori (WWF, African Rhino Manager), Tom Milliken (Traffic, Director East, Southern Africa) and Dr Ian Player (Founder of The Wilderness Foundation), as well as Major Jack Greeff of the Anti Poaching Intelligence Group Southern Africa and Kobus de Velt, a manager of a CIS unit in the Kruger National Park. While in Mozambique, Hull speaks to members of a familiy of a killed poacher, to an "influential business man" and to an alleged poacher. Towards the end of the documentary Hull visits the game farm of South Africa's largest private rhino breeder, John Hume, and interviews him about his motives. All in all a very interesting, but shocking documentary. Kudos at Jonah Hull, Clifford Bestall and Al Jazeera.

CITES has released a new short version of "Rhinos under Thread" (16min)

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has released a new and shorter version of short version (16 minutes) of the film "Rhinos under Threat" that was first screened during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) on 18 June 2012. The full version (28 minutes) of the film is available here.

Please spread the word about the film, share it via facebook, pinterest and email, RT it and g+ it - the useless killings of rhinos has to stop!

Video: "Rhinos under threat" (29min)

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration with UNTV, produced the movie below titled "Rhino under Threat," which aims to raise public awareness of the current crisis faced by rhinoceros due to illegal killing and the international trade in rhino horn. The movie was first viewed on 18 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20).

Please spread the word about the film, share it via facebook, pinterest and email, RT it and g+ it - the useless killings of rhinos has to stop!

Earth-Touch series: Diving with crocodiles (Okavango Delta)

Earth-Touch, a South African multimedia company specialised in nature documentaries, just released an amazing wildlife documentary series in which a team of of divers is embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. They’re entering the treacherous waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta to explore an underwater realm that’s never been seen by humans: the home of the Nile crocodile. Kudos @Earth-Touch for such a great footage - it's simply mindblowing! Please visit their website, watch Earth-Touch's videos and spread the word about their amazing work! Thx!

Al Jazeera documentary about Johannesburg - "Hillbrow: Between Heaven and Hell" (50min)

In the 50min Al Jazeera documentary "Hillbrow: Between Heaven and Hell", Filmmaker Clifford Bestall is taking us on a personal journey to the heart of one of South Africa's most dangerous neighbourhoods. Through the stories of some of its residents, including an old white Jewish lady that never left, Clifford Bestall, who grew up in an all-white Hillbrow in the 1960s, reveals a rich seam of today's urban South African experience. Hillbrow is the inner city residential neighbourhood of Johannesburg.

Witness is Al Jazeera English's flagship documentary strand, presenting four international documentaries each week. It is presented by Ghida Fakhry and showcases documentaries commissioned from independent filmmakers around the world. The "films focus especially on people whose stories are rarely heard - people at the margins of society and people who are somehow surviving the pressures of international news events" (via Al Jazeera).

Trailer: Un•earthed - The Documentary (2012)

The independent South African documentary un•earthed seeks to investigate plans of potential shale gas development and its method of hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo and broader regions. The project is committed to thorough, objective research and encouraging open and accurate discussion amidst heated debates currently unfolding in the country. After filming locally and abroad, un•earthed is currently in post-production and a massive release is expected in early 2012.



Pls check the website of the documentary and their facebook page for more info!

Video: South Africa's dance music scene

Although I am not a big fan of dance music, I found the the following two part documentary actually quite interesting. Check it out and follow the guys from Pascal & Pearce, who are promoting their new album "Passport" through the films, around South Africa's dance scene and explore what Cape Town and Johannesburg are like... dancemusicwise!

The first video of the two part 24min series is taking a look at the electronic/dance music scene of Cape Town.



Pascal & Pearce | Dave Mac (BPM Mag) | Kurt Meyer (Good Hope FM) | Sean Duvet | Craig da Sousa | Locnville | Dean Fuel | Goldfish | Goodluck

The second video of the series is focussed on the city of Johannesburg, its artists and the music scene.



Pascal & Pearce | Glen van Loggerenberg (House Afrika) | Vinny da Vinci ((House Afrika) | Tamara Dey | Sasha Martinengo (5FM) | Tasha Baxter | Richard Santana | Frank van Rooijen (Dirty Herz) | Spiro Damaskinos (Sony Music Entertainment) | Roger Goode (5FM) | Greg Walsh (G&G Productions) | Revel Ravenhill (Nuwave) | Andre Frauenstein (Dirty Herz) | Greg Carlin (Zebra & Giraffe) | Louise Carver 

Kudos to Warwick Allan & team for the videos!

Trailer: The Ambassador (2011)

Mads Brügger, a danish filmmaker/satirist/journalist, bought himself a diplomatic passport then went to live in the Central African Republic and to see what that passport could gain him. And he captured the entire thing on film. The Ambassador is a genre-breaking, tragic comedy about the bizarre, hidden world of African diplomacy, where gin-tonics flow on a daily basis and diamond hustlers and corrupt politicians run free.



The film was released this month (Oct 2011) and will open the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam on 16 Nov 2011.

Documentary trailer: "Robert Mugabe... what happened?"

update (07 Aug 2012): "Robert Mugabe... what happened?" is now available to buy on DVD from Amazon (UK)!

The documentary "Robert Mugabe… what happened?", directed by Simon Bright and
produced by Michael Auret, had its World Premiere at the Opening Night film of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in Cape Town on Thursday 09 June 2011.



Billed as the definitive account of Mugabe’s life, the film dramatically illustrates his successful liberation and development of the country but also his ruthless and cunning retention of power at all costs.
The director of the film, Simon Bright, explains that the film "gives Mugabe the credit where its due. It’s an exploration of what happened to a promising African leader who was well respected and it recognises his fight for freedom and against Apartheid" yet also "explores the forces that caused him to effectively destroy a lot of what he built." (via mugabemovie.com)

For public screenings (currently on in South Africa) please visit the film's facebook page or check the website. The film will also be published on DVD.

The Last Lions - watch 70min of film clips, deleted scenes, behind the scenes videos & more online

In "The Last Lions" filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert (also see TEDtalk: Beverly & Dereck Joubert - Life lessons from big cats) follow the epic journey of the lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) in the wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta as she battles to protect her cubs against the daunting onslaught of enemies to ensure their survival.
As far as I know the film is currently only in the cinemas in the US, so I have scanned Youtube for official flim clips from "The Last Lions", found them (6) and also found deleted scenes (4) and behind the scene videos (5), as well as a 30min Q&A about the movie with Dereck and Beverly Joubert. So enjoy roughly 70min of "The Last Lions"!

new documentary from Zimbabwe: "There is a rhino in my house" (45 min)

"There is a Rhino in my House" is a documentary exploring the heartwarming story of John and Judy Travers, a Zimbabwean couple, at the Imire Safari Ranch, who have devoted their lives to saving from extinction one of the rarest mammals on earth - the Black Rhino.



The project is also one of the first farms to offer homes to young orphan elephants and has instigated research to improve handling and teaching elephants in order for them to be ridden and to work on farms.
Today, you can meet Nzou, a 35-year-old orphaned female elephant that has, over the years, become the matriarch of a herd of buffalo. Makavusi, Toto and Mundevu are elephants that allow you to ride on them, swim with them and share their daily chores...a magical experience.
Imire Safari Ranch, located 105 km by road east of Harare in Zimbabwe, is easily accessible for day trips, weekenders and longer stays.

How did the white rhino get its name? >>

Zimbabwe country guide, tour & accommodation booking >>

"The Last Resort", a new documentary about Zimbabwe

I read Douglas Roger's book "The Last Resort" back in 2009, I wrote about "The Last Resort" in this blog back in December 2009 and now I saw on vimeo that Capetonian filmmaker Isa-Lee Jacobson is currently making a documentary acting as a sequel to Douglas' book.


The Last Resort from Isa Jacobson on Vimeo.

Description:
Douglas Rogers returns to Zimbabwe to find his parents in a precarious position: their backpackers lodge, Drifters, is as wrecked as the country. The tourists gone, it is now home to a colourful assortment of local characters, making their way through the turmoil, doing their best to improve their lives and land. Success depends on political change, still uncertain, or perhaps on the efforts of outsiders like Doug, who has his own plans to bring tourists back to Zimbabwe and resurrect Drifters.
"The Last Resort" is a film about belonging in Africa, about people brought together by their need to survive, but fortified by their determination to build a better life, no matter what the challenges. As we follow Doug on his journey home to Drifters, we hope desperately to see Tendai, Pishai, Fatso and his parents rewarded for their sheer staying power and unflagging optimism.
This is a film about hope for the future - a future that could hold a true democracy for Zimbabwe and a new start for Drifters. The film will chart this process.

The filmmakers are currently raising funds to complete this important film, which you can donate to. If you want to do so, pls visit the website of the documentary at http://thelastresortdocumentary.com/

get the book in the TravelComments.com eShop >>

iShamwari: the world's first mini wildlife documentary shot on the iPhone

The BBC series Safari School was filmed here, as well as the Animal Planet series titled Shamwari: A wild life and now the Shamwari Private Game Reserve in South Africa is the setting for the world's first mini wildlife documentary shot entirely on the iPhone 4.



Shamwari Private Game Reserve is home to Africa’s Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard), is malaria free and is situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Shamwari is situated in verdant bush along the Bushmans River, halfway between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, a pleasant drive from Cape Town and forms a natural extension to the famous Garden Route. The 25 000 hectare reserve boasts five eco-systems, thus enabling the support of many forms of plant, animal and bird life.

For more info about the "IShamwari" project please visit their facebook page. 

Shamwari Game Reserve conservation project >>

"South Africa: The party is over". South Africa after the 2010 World Cup (Video, 45min)

I just came across this very interesting 45min documentary about South Africa after the 2010 World Cup. Al Jazeera's Rageh Omaar travels the country and talks to South Africans from various backgrounds and perspectives about their life during and particularly after the most succesfull FIFA World Cup to date.

 

In June 2010, the eyes of the world were on South Africa as it hosted the FIFA World Cup. For ordinary South Africans, it was also a month-long reprieve from the usual bad news about crime, corruption, and poverty that has plagued the nation in recent years. But it is only now, months after the World Cup has been over, that South Africa can finally assess how it moves forward and how it overcomes the huge number of challenges it faces.