It’s been a wild and woolly year, since Dave and I embarked on an unforgettable journey in the creation of two short rhino films and an accompanying photographic book. They have been launched at last by Africa Cries. This Mauritian-based film production company was founded by Roland Vincent, whose vision inspired this phenomenal project.
Shot in South Africa and created in response to the escalating threat of extinction facing Earth’s remaining rhinos, the first film, Rhineo & Juliet – Love and Tragedy in Africa, addresses this crisis, while the second, The Ark – Rhino Survival Sanctuary, shares a far-reaching, sustainable solution, integral to saving this irreplaceable member of Africa’s Big Five.
Our heart-felt thanks goes out to all the amazing people who have given generously of their time, energy and expertise in contributing to the making of the films, as listed in the credits, as well as to the translation of both scripts into multiple languages. Special mention also to Wayne Nicholson and his team for their valued contribution and for sharing this in his post, Love & Tragedy in Africa.
Here are the films, with a word of warning to sensitive viewers: the first one contains a few brief but extremely hard-hitting scenes, which we have been repeatedly advised are critical to convey the extent of the rhino poaching horror. These were contributed by witnesses, who care deeply about the importance and urgency of the message. While the first is a sweeping story that tugs at the heart by humanizing rhino, the second film is documentary in nature, sharing a beautiful, tranquil overview of a solution.
Rhineo & Juliet – Love and Tragedy in Africa
The Ark – Rhino Survival Sanctuary
PLEASE VISIT THE AFRICA CRIES WEBSITE IF YOU’RE MOVED TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION. WE WOULD ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SHARING THESE VIDEOS FOR THE SAKE OF THE RHINO. SINCERE THANKS FROM US ALL!
For further inspiration, I’ll leave you with the words of Tony Frost, CEO of Sirocco Strategy Management, former CEO of WWF and board member of the South African National Biodiversity Institute: “It was a real pleasure to meet this morning. I must say you are embarking on a terrifically exciting journey. If there is anything meaningful that I can do I would be honoured to try . . . the rhino is a massive and incredibly important symbol of a much bigger malaise attacking this planet and therefore it is a magnificent opportunity to do something much bigger than only saving the rhino. You have the vehicle, we have to help you to drive it hard!”
As an aside, blogging friends may remember my post from October last year, at the start of this adventure: Wild Things Wringing Our Hearts Inside Out, which included a photo of “Smurf”, an adorable 6-week-old Rhino calf sucking our video camera. As shared in that post, our beautiful and beloved Norwegian Forest Cat, Jina, disappeared while we were away working on the first film. She came home but vanished again soon afterwards and for those who remember her, she hasn’t returned, which is the reason why she hasn’t featured on this blog in a long while. Our love is with her always.
