We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
Answers provided by Lara Ariffin.
What inspired this story? We are losing tigers in Malaysia - today there are less than 250 in the wild and not enough is being done to save them by the authorities. In my generation, Malaysia has lost the Sumatran Rhino and the leatherback turtle and we refuse for the tiger to also disappear on our watch. As a company, we have decided to work on short films on a pro-bono basis that will engage a particular community or target audience. We decided that Harimau Selamnya, (Tigers Forever), will be made for Muslim villagers living close to the forest that are could be involved in poaching and hunting of tigers. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? Getting His Royal Highness Sultan Mizan on board this project was a wonderful surprise. Quiet by nature, he was camera shy but pushed his own boundaries by putting himself out there. As the head of Islam in the state of Terengganu, his word makes a big impact to the people of the state. What impact do you hope this film will have? The film has already been crucial in helping to get a fatwa, or religious edict, passed in the state - banning the hunting of tigers and threatened wildlife. The film has also been shown in mosques around the state and the message used in Friday prayer sermons. We have been able to get it shown on local television as a filler. We hope to continue our efforts of spreading awareness to other Muslim villagers in other states. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. One of the biggest challenges is keeping the message as simple as possible for the target audience. As the film is completely on a pro-bono basis, we are restricted by the number of days we can put into the film. What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cats? The tiger is the jungles most elusive but most formidable creature but humans have brought it to its knees - from more than 3,000 in Malaysia in the 1950’s, there are now less than 250. Never has the plight to save them been so desperate and urgent.
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We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
Answers provided by Hannah Hoare, Showrunner
What inspired the story? Following the pride and filming the cubs, it quickly became apparent that one cub was different. He was always on his own, off to one side, not joining in with play-fights. We were really drawn to him from the word go, the little underdog – the Misfit. We focused on him and just watched all the drama unfold. We could never have predicted his incredible story. Share about your surprising or meaningful experiences during filming? The night we found the tiny Misfit lost and alone, away from his pride, was heart-breaking. He came so close to being attacked by a leopard it was almost unbearable to film. The crew’s hearts were in their mouths. Even more remarkable was seeing the reaction of his teenager brothers when he finally found them. At first we were hugely relieved that’d he’d found the safety of the pride, but quickly realized how wrong we were. It was an extraordinary insight into lion behavior, and an emotional rollercoaster.
What impact do you hope the film will have? We’ve been able to show that lions are far more nuanced than just being formidable predators and I hope perhaps that might help some people see them in a different light. Their family relationships are complex and intriguing; what befalls one has an impact on another. Lions need wildernesses in which to live out their lives and it’s up to us, to humanity, to ensure we protect those places. The more people who engage emotionally with lions, the more they are likely to commit, I hope, to protecting their world. What challenges did you face while making the film? Filming at night is very tricky. The crew were at a huge disadvantage compared to lions – their night vision is seven times better than ours. Our thermal camera made it possible for us to film – but we had no way of seeing what was going on either side of the camera, or behind us. We had some nerve-wrackingly close encounters with some very big cats! What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cat species? There’s a fascination with the wild version of the moggy that lives in our houses. But lions are unique, the only social cat. Multiple animals maintaining relationships means there are always compelling stories to be told. Following a pride over time is like getting hooked a soap opera – you get to know characters and you want to tune in and find out what happens next. For a film-maker, there’s a rich vein of stories.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story?
I have seen and filmed jaguars in Brazil on previous projects and was in awe of them. But was searching for a story that encapsulated the real-world threats and challenges the cats face, not just a situation to showcase their amazing behaviour. Contacts in Brazil told me of the pioneering approach to habituate and study wild jaguars that was being used in Southern Pantanal by the Oncafari Project. The work is based on models that have proved successful in habituating big cats to vehicles in Africa, and the team were using the same techniques and expertise to get wild jaguars accustomed to vehicles in Caiman Ecological Refuge. I visited the project to investigate it further and was there when the team learnt about the plight of the two orphans jaguars. A female jaguar had entered the town of Corumba with her two cubs during the flood season and sadly died during an attempt to move her. The local authorities managed to capture the two cubs that were then held in a rescue facility. They looked destined to a life in captivity. But the Brazilian Department of the Environment – ICMBio - approached the Oncafari project to see if they would attempt to re-wild and release the cubs in the Southern Pantanal region. It gave us a brilliant opportunity to tell two parallel and juxtaposing story lines – on one hand a pioneering approach to get closer to the wild jaguars for the benefit of science and eco-tourism, and on the other trying to make the orphans wild and wary of humans, and pioneer an approach to releasing captive cats to the wild. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Following individual wild jaguars – even those that are becoming habituated to vehicles – proved challenging and very time consuming. The star wild cat we followed was a female called Esperanca, who had cubs during our filming period. We knew that she was pregnant on the first filming trip but despite the team's best efforts we only caught sight of her new cubs four months later. She proved to be a very diligent mother and it was clear she was completely in control of the interactions we had with her. She only revealed the cubs strictly on her terms when the time was right for them. The orphaned cubs in the purpose built enclosure also proved tricky to film as they became more elusive as they grew more wary of humans. To film them hunting we installed remote cameras during the construction of the enclosure. The camera system sat dormant for eight months and had to endure a Pantanal wet season. But it survived and provided us with a clear view of how the orphans were learning to hunt and that they were ready to be released. What impact do you hope this film will have? Beyond the need for conservation of jaguars in particular, I hope this film will make people think about the pressures and future faced by Brazil's wildlife and wild places at this very critical time in the country's history. Jaguars are Brazil's conservation icon and a symbol of its wildest places. They hold the top slot in a country that is the most bio-diverse on the planet. The survival of Brazil's jaguars has to been seen in relation to the demands of Brazil's growing urban population and the very real threats to its protected areas. Industries such as cattle farming, agriculture and tourism are stake holders, not just in the future of jaguars but in so much of the country's wildlife, and the conservation effort needs to engage on all fronts if we are to safe guard the future of Brazil's wildlife. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? The story of the orphans took on a great poignancy for a number of us on the production during the filming. The jaguars' story is all about mothers – Esperanca, the wild female we followed, was a remarkable mother and we saw how well she taught her two cubs. It showed how reliant jaguar cubs are on the mother to learn to hunt and survive, and made the loss suffered by the two orphans at such a young age even more apparent and stark. But we also felt their loss on a much deeper level. During filming not only did Lilian, our key Oncafari contributor, lose her mother, but I lost my mother to cancer as did our production coordinator, Emily. It was very brave of Lili to talk about her loss during interviews as her loss was very recent and raw – and while she was talking about her loss she was speaking for us all. Anything else you would like people to know? Since we finished filming the two orphaned sisters have continued to adapt well to their new life in the wild. They have been monitored by the Oncafari team and have remained in the area where they were released – which is a well protected and safe territory free from persecution. On the basis of this success and the lessons learnt there are future plans to develop similar release programs in other biomes in Brazil.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story?
Tigers have always caught people's imagination. They are one of the biggest and most powerful cats and a symbol of India’s ecological abundance. A tigers presence in a forest proves that the forest is healthy. For the past few years tiger numbers have risen in India in the wild. The forest of Ranthambhore has especially seen a high rise in tiger numbers. We were filming in Ranthambhore when Sultan suddenly vanished. He was supposed to be the next dominant male in the area where we were filming most. A young healthy tiger disappearing was a really bad sign. We started to follow his tracks and also understand the complex relationship tigers and people share in and around Ranthambhore National Park. The park earns high earnings from tourism. It's one of the most visited National Parks in the country. Yet in the last 5 years 12 tigers have gone missing from Ranthambhore. We needed to understand where these missing tigers go? Do they get killed, poached or poisoned? What we found was incredible! Tigers of Ranthambhore were sometimes walking even up to 300 kilometeres in search of prey and new habitat! This gave us and the filming crew hope. Sultan may not have been poisoned or poached. He could have just walked out of the safety pf the park in search of food and new territory. This is how our journey began to follow Sultan and tell the story of missing tigers of Ranthambhore. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? The two most meaningful experiences in this journey were to witness the work of the village volunteers at the ground level and the change in the Moghiya community. The village volunteers are volunteers from the community of shepherds who live around Ranthambhore. They understand the terrain the best and also understand the nuances among the people who share their habitat with the Tiger. The team of people we met, monitor and track tigers of Ranthambhore who leave the protected borders of the National Park and walk through natural corridors that are now agricultural fields or peoples homes. To see and meet people from the community who have become guardians of the Tiger is really an experience that makes you understand the science and hard work needed behind protecting one of India’s most loved yet endangered animal. The Moghiya community was the other experience which was very meaningful for the crew. The Moghiyas are one of the poorest and most marginalised communities in the area. They have been out castes for centuries and have survived on hunting. Identified as poachers and criminals, the new generation of Moghiya children are going to school and learning to leave the ancient traditions of hunting behind. To meet Jaggu and his family gave everyone a sense of immense hope that things can change if the right interventions are put in place.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
We hope that Sultans story becomes an example of what Tigers and other big migrating species are going through across the country. Animals know no boundaries and walk their ancient routes to fend for themselves and their family. Policy makers and decision makers must understand that these ancient corridors must be protected and Tigers must be given these connected safe corridors to be able to breed and maintain their populations. We hope that after this film, Kaila Devi Sanctuary is given National Park Status and is included in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve with safe corridors connecting them. This would ensure the increasing populations ofTigers in Ranthambhore to live and breed further and also decrease the unavoidable human-animal conflicts in the area. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. We went back looking for Sultan during the monsoons. Everything was flooded and pug marks were difficult to find. Camera trapping was the only way to know which way Sultan might have gone. Parts of Kaila Devi where we wanted to look were completed flooded and inaccessible. This made us lose hope on a daily basis. Other than the film had the support of both the Forest Department and Tiger Watch who were as invested in Sultans story as we were. It was important for them to find this Tiger and prove that a missing tiger did not just mean that it was poached…it meant a tiger had just walked hundreds of kilometres outside of the forest. This is what Tigers do and this must be understood. What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cats? Big Cats are a symbol of a healthy forest. At a time when forests across the world are being lost, it is important to tell a story which connects the cats to the forests and finally the forests to every viewer watching the film. India's forests are now reduced to less than 30% of its historic cover. The Big Cats and all the other species dependent on them are disappearing with the forests. Telling the story of a big cat is telling the story of the forests and the habitat they need to sustain them. We feel the Tiger story which has been told so many times can never be told enough. Now might be the time more urgent than ever to celebrate Big Cats and their importance for the ecology that they sustain, the few biodiversity hotspots that remain and the forests that still provide water for the millions.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story? We want to tell the stories of the people who share the landscapes with snow leopard. This is the story of a Cashmere goat herder who works at very high altitudes in harsh conditions tending his goats. In the past, because of the value of his goats if a snow leopard kills one a goat, there would be retaliatory killing of the cat. Now through a Livestock Insurance Program, he has options and no longer kill snow leopards. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? In the Village of Gya, they knew the film crew was coming. Both the women and the men working in the streets moving rocks and digging ditches until our vehicles arrived. They walked to a community hall to meet us. Bringing out their finest teacups, they served yak butter tea and gave thanks to each of us by draping a ceremonial scarf around our necks. They were so grateful that we would be sharing their story. What impact do you hope this film will have? With knowledge you can create empathy and support. To bring the stories from both the communities and the people who are doing the conservation work, I hope this film garners more worldwide support for the Snow Leopard Trust and their partners. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film.
What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on the big cat species? I was hired to produce a video featuring the Snow Leopard Trust founder Helen Freeman in 2004. Initially, it was to showcase her work as the founder of the Snow Leopard Trust. I was able to use donated footage from Mitchell Kelly and Hugh Miles and fell in love with snow leopards. October of 2018, I got to witness my first snow leopard in the wild. It was a thrill of a lifetime.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story? Early in his career, Irish Cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson spent almost 600 days filming Broken Tail & his family in Ranthambhore India’s most magnificent tiger reserve for a series of the finest tiger documentaries ever made. Broken Tail was the most charismatic tiger cub he'd ever seen and Colin filmed him almost daily throughout the first year of his life. But then Broken Tail disappeared without trace leaving a host of unanswered questions. Colin returned home to Ireland but Broken Tail’s disappearance continued to haunt him. Years later when he heard of a tiger matching Broken Tail’s description killed by a train hundreds of miles from the reserve, Colin felt he owed it to Broken Tail to find out what happened, retrace his last journey and discover just how he’d managed to survive outside the safety of a reserve. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? The team launched into the film expecting it to be a tale of woe for tigers. Our aim was to highlight the issues, reveal the habitat destruction and show the problems facing tigers in the hope that things might change. What we found was something often very different. Broken Tail left the safety of Ranthambhore Reserve and wandered for 200 miles through often densely populated countryside. He was no lurking fugitive but relaxed and confident among people and was able to thrive with ease among an extremely tolerant rural population in Western India. He wandered and on his journey found corridors and areas of land that could support him and other tigers. Until he came to his final sanctuary – a place called Darrah and settled here, he was not a tiger in trouble.
Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film.
The biggest challenge in making Broken Tail was getting funders to back it. Conservation films are always a very difficult sell to mainstream broadcasters, but a tiger conservation film that centred around an already dead tiger was an incredibly difficult sell. In the end, we took quite unconventional funding routes for a Natural History film and thankfully once it was made, all of the leading broadcasters came on board. In the field the biggest challenge for the production was Indian bureaucracy. At the time of filming there was a lot of tension in India about the state of the tiger population. The level of work involved in obtaining permissions required to film in protected areas was enormous and the rules and procedures changed regularly. This slowed the production down substantially and also meant that we had to keep our shooting plan very flexible.
What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cats?
I think there are a few iconic species that every natural history film maker would like to make a film about in their career and Tigers is one of them. For years producers John Murray & Cepa Giblin had been trying to find a tiger story, but were adamant that they didn’t want to make just another tiger profile documentary. With international headlines on a daily basis about the dwindling tiger numbers in India, they wanted a strong conservation film with a powerful emotional story at its heart, a film that might make a difference in some way. So, it was a chance meeting with Colin Stafford-Johnson that brought this idea. Through Broken Tail’s story they could see the complexities of the issues facing tigers and a means to bring them to an audience through the remarkable story of one individual tiger.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story?
Imagine one of the world’s most iconic big cats in one of the world’s most desolate places… Lions surviving in the dunes, along the coast, on the endless gravel plains of the Namib Desert – it is so unlikely, so unexpected, and yet they really do exist there. Thanks to scientist Dr. Philip Stander having studied the desert lions for nearly two decades, we were able to do something that had never been done before: to make a behavioral film on these elusive big cats. Though desert lions had been filmed before, our aim was to make an in-depth film about a specific pride, so when Dr Stander told us that one of the prides had given birth to a cohort of five male cubs, which is a unique occurrence, we jumped at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We wanted to document their life story, which would allow the audience an intimate insight into the extraordinary world of this unique kind of predator. Without Dr. Stander’s intensive and long-term research on the desert lions this would have never been possible, and the desert lions would still remain largely unknown to the rest of the world. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? When you’re out in a desolate wilderness like the Namib for over two years to follow a pride of desert-adapted lions, you’re bound to have countless surprising and meaningful experiences, as we did. But our most valuable experience was that the old lioness of the pride brought us both the most astonishing, and the most tragic, scene. At nearly seventeen years of age,- which is very old for a lion in the wild-, we filmed her in a spectacular head-on collision with a fully-grown bull giraffe. And several months later, we were by her side when she died, of old age. With Dr Stander having followed the lioness her entire life, she had provided him with extensive knowledge on a desert lion’s life. As we filmed the scientist taking off her collar, we realized how rare this specific scene was, for one hardly ever finds, let alone documents, a desert lion dying of old age - most of them are tragically killed, due to human-lion conflict. Through the eyes of the old lioness we were able to show our audience the essence of a desert-adapted lion’s life. With her courage, resilience, and endurance the old lioness showed us what it takes to be a true desert lion. It was a great privilege to be able to tell her story.
positive and beautiful story of our lion pride. We believe that that is the story we needed to tell, to reach and affect large audiences worldwide. We hope this captivating film will bring more attention to desert lions, increase tourism potential for the Northern Namib where they occur, and that a better human-lion conflict management plan will be put in place to effectively conserve these incredible big cats. Essentially we hope that our film will have such an impact that it will actively contribute to protecting the last of these unique lions.
Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. It was a challenge to work in a desert environment. Aside from the blasting sandstorms, the freezing cold, thick fog clouds and other unpredictable weather conditions, the biggest challenge was the extremely sensitive terrain of the desert. New car tracks could scar the landscape for decades, so to keep our impact as small as possible, we would often see our pride walk off across the immense gravel plains without being able to follow them. Most of the desert is still untouched and pure. We wanted to keep it that way, even though it meant that we would sometimes not see our lions for weeks on end. Another challenge was to keep up with the lions. Desert lions have enormous home ranges and move over incredible distances. We lived like nomads so that we were mobile and flexible to be able to keep track of them. Our Land Cruiser was both our filming vehicle and our home for more than two years - we had a rooftop tent to sleep in and set up camp in a different place every night. It gave us a sense of freedom you can hardly ever experience anywhere else. It allowed us to stay closer to the lions, and therefore brought us wonderful filming moments we wouldn’t have had if we had lived at a permanent base. What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cats? Lions are in decline all over the world, and as they play a vital role in our ecosystems they are in great need of protection. As wildlife filmmakers we have the ability to reach the masses, to instill an appreciation for big cats, and hopefully change attitudes to influence decisions regarding their protection. In that way we can ensure their conservation. Lions are highly adaptive and live in a variety of habitats, but there is only one place on earth where they occur in the desert. The Namib. And as desert lions live such extraordinary lives and are pushed to their very limits, they are symbolic to what a lion, as such an iconic species, is really capable of. But with fewer than 120 desert lions left, and only a few adult male lions remaining due to human-lion conflict and trophy hunting, the small population is under threat. We felt their story had to be told, as the world needs to take notice of the dire situation these unique big cats are in. Thanks to Dr Stander having studied the desert lions for nearly two decades, it was possible to capture their survival strategies on film, to really show what sets them apart from lions elsewhere. We believe a compelling in-depth wildlife film like ‘Vanishing Kings’ can be an effective tool in reaching audiences worldwide, and making them aware of the daunting reality that our big cats are about to vanish, in front of our eyes… Five Questions for Filmmakers: Nat Geo Inspires - Collecting Data to Save Gorongosa's Lions2/27/2018 We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films. The following questions were answered by Senior Producer Sarah Joseph, except where otherwise noted.) What inspired this story? This video was created as part of a series for National Geographic Education about a program called the Geo-Inquiry Process, designed to teach kids how to look at the world through a geography-based lens. Specifically, the videos are designed to help inspire teachers and students by showing them that National Geographic Explorers use similar methods in their work every day. In this piece, we wanted to show that collecting data – which may at first sound like a dry topic – can directly lead to the conservation of an important species such as lions in Gorongosa National Park, and that this story can be told in an engaging, emotional way. It is also important for us to feature historically underrepresented communities in our work, and Paola Bouley is a wonderful example of a strong female conservationist. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? From our Associate Producer, Elaina Kimes: The crew tried to keep our shrieks and coos to a minimum as our cameraman filmed the tiny cub. We were told our chances of seeing it were low given the tall grass the pride had been hiding in, so we were elated when Paola whispered and gestured toward a small brown smudge in the grass. The sun had nearly set and every second of daylight we had left was precious. Next to the cub, a lioness watched us closely. We had no sense of fear - just excitement. The cub play-stalked us for a moment, then proceeded to jump onto its mother’s back. As the lioness stood up and began walking away, we were shocked to see the cub hitch a ride for a few paces. Even Lion Biologist Paola Bouley was surprised by this unusual behavior. Then, just like that, they were gone. We sat in awe, reflecting on why we were making this film and who we were fighting for: the next generation of lions in Gorongosa National Park. What impact do you hope this film will have? We hope this film will help inspire educators to teach their students the power of thinking globally, and that those students will in turn become the next generation of change-makers in the world. We also want to show students that explorers don’t all look one way (throughout the series, we feature diverse scientists, photographers, artists, etc.), and that anyone can get out and make a difference in the world. And finally, we hope that this video can be used in a number of places to share Gorongosa’s conservation message with the world and help protect incredible species like lions. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. As is often the case (particularly in short-form video where budgets tend to be smaller) we were working with limited resources, including time in the field. We were very fortunate to work closely with Gorongosa National Park on this film, who already own a ton of beautiful wildlife/scenic imagery that they shared with us. This allowed us to focus our resources on Paola and her work, rather than having to make the huge time investment required to capture some of the spectacular wildlife footage scene in the piece. For me, this shoot was especially challenging because I went into it with a bad case of the flu! I found the 3 flights to get there followed by a 5-hour car ride on rough roads pretty grueling, but I wasn’t about to let an illness stop me from going to Mozambique. Fortunately, I felt better within a couple of days of arriving and it was an amazing experience overall. What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on the big cat species? Africa’s lion population has decreased by 90% in the last 75 years – a pretty staggering, and dismal, statistic. But Gorongosa National Park is an amazing example of what can happen when a dedicated, passionate team applies solid research to a conservation challenge. By collecting data on Gorongosa’s lion population, Paola’s team was able to figure out that snares are one of the biggest threats to lion recovery. And through a concerted on-the-ground effort to remove snares from the park, Gorongosa is seeing a tangible increase in lion numbers, helping to ensure at least one lion stronghold in Africa. As important as it is to share the plight of endangered species, I believe it’s equally important to share these success stories, particularly when it comes to inspiring the next generation of conservationists. We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films. The following questions were answered by Gavin Boyland, Director and Producer of Big Cats: Episode 3, A BBC Natural History Unit Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions LLC co-produced by France Télévisions, a finalist in the Conservation, People and Big Cats, and Science in Behavior categories of the International Big Cats Film Festival. What inspired this story? When we set out to make the definitive series on the entire cat family we were obviously conscious of the threats cats face across the planet. It was incredible important that we were honest with our audience on the endangered status of many cats. We also wanted to highlight the incredible dedication scientists and conservationists have and the cutting edge work they’re doing. Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? I think what surprised us time and again was the sheer passion and determination people have for cats. So many people have dedicated their lives to making a difference and that resolve really inspired our audience too. What impact do you hope this film will have? The series was made for a very broad and popular audience, airing in the UK in primetime on the BBC’s flagship entertainment channel. The hope primarily was to create awareness of the challenges cats face. But also to give people hope, hope that something cat be done by supporting the people battling to protect cats. Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. The biggest challenge was actually deciding what stories to cover in the first place. There were many complex issues that we could have gone into in much more detail but I was always conscious in keeping the story relevant to our audience. To overview all of contemporary cat science and conservation in one hour was hard to say the least, I only hope we’ve done justice to the incredible endeavour going on right now. What drove you as a filmmaker to focus on big cats? When the NHU set out to make this series we wanted to show Big Cats in a new light. These are familiar animals but we want to reveal a different side, bring them out the shadows and emphasizing the lesser known species. The cats are an incredible animal family, charismatic, fascinating and beautiful.
We reached out to our festival filmmakers to ask them questions about the experience of making their films.
What inspired this story?
Director Cepa Giblin: It was the long term ambition of Producer and Director John Murray to make Wild Ireland. There have been many, many films made about the West Coast of Ireland but he felt none of them did the place the justice it deserved. For various other productions he had travelled the west coast extensively and always felt there was an atmosphere and a magic to the place that was never quite captured. So it was with this ambition that he set out to make Wild Ireland. To reveal Ireland, and specifically the west coast, in the way that he had experienced it. To try and give the audience a taste of the mood and beauty that the coast has to offer.
Question specific to category: Host/Presenter Led
Why did you pick Colin Stafford-Johnson to be the on camera host telling this story? CG: There was really no choice to be made. We had worked with Colin for a number of years on a number of productions and he was the natural fit for the series. Having travelled the world making natural history films for many years, Colin finally settled on the West of Ireland as his home. While we wanted to make a film that captured our beloved West Coast, Colin wanted to discover this place that he had been drawn to, so we felt combining the two was the logical thing to do. Colin has a unique style of presenting that brings the viewer on a very personal and passionate journey and we felt his style of presenting would be key in bringing the charm of the location to life.
What Next?
CG: For the last 10 years we have primarily focused our natural history films in Ireland. The notorious Irish weather finally broke us during Wild Ireland and we decided that next time, we needed some tropical beaches and sunshine. So, our next project is on the natural history of Cuba. What impact do you hope this film will have? CG: The big hope for this film was that people might take a closer look at their home turf and see how much there is to value in it. We are constantly looking abroad, ignoring what we have in the hope of having a 'wild experience’. Wildness is elsewhere, not next door. We wanted to convey the idea of just experiencing wild places, not necessarily having to witness major natural events. To show the value of just getting away, getting out on your own and taking it all in. However, during broadcast a panic did strike us as tweets rolled in asking the names and locations of places…...…the dread of these places been flooded with people and us being the cause.
Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film?
CG: There were two major challenged in making this series. 1. The weather - we all know Irish weather is appalling but we weren’t quite prepared for what the gods would throw at us over the three years of production. The first two years were 2 of the wettest years on record in Ireland and with very poor sea conditions. Luckily our prayers were answered for year three, when it all came together. 2. The second challenge was trying to find new ways to tell very familiar stories. Ireland’s wildlife is not unusual and most of the animals have featured in numerous documentaries over the years. There was a feeling that people had seen it all before, we were retreading old ground. So, we were constantly trying to look at new angles on their story, trying to highlight the smaller details that might usually go unnoticed - for example the affectionate cooing and preening of the Manx Shearwaters after been apart for days or the retreat of the defeated Red Deer stag into the woodland to die. We were trying to bring to the fore the emotion in the stories of the animals, to make the audience connect with them in a different way. |
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