• Producer(s):

    ARTE FRANCE, COMPAGNIE DES INDES (LA), IDEACOM INTERNATIONAL

  • Territories:

    Worldwide.

  • Production year:

    2003

  • Language(s):

    German, English, French

  • Rights:

    NON-THEATRICAL, TV, VOD, DVD

From Mogambo to Out of Africa, from the pioneers of the documentary to the golden age of wildlife filming, this is a kaleidoscope of the most breathtaking footage and still photographs of Africa ever taken.

Until the early 20th century, all Western populations knew about African wildlife was what they had seen in botanical prints and trips to the zoo or read in the accounts of missionaries and explorers. Not surprisingly, they were bowled over by the first big-screen footage of lions and elephants in their natural habitat.
From the late Thirties until the end of the Fifties, Hollywood was people's main source of images of Africa. The movies perpetuated the myth of the great white hunter confronting a hostile wilderness full of savage beasts. The white hunter was seen as the consummate adventure hero, and was played by actors like Clark Gable and Stewart Granger - the biggest stars of their day.
Today, wildlife films have become a genre in their own right. Filming the wilderness offers insights into the risks of wildlife filming, the techniques used to get pictures in differing circumstances, and the relationship the cameraman has with the animals he is filming.