Namibian short film tackling poaching about to start production
2019 is the year of accountability and enters are taking their stand.
Namibian short film Baxu and the Giants, telling the story of how rhino poaching triggers social change in a village in Damaraland, will start production in February.
Producer Andrew Botelle (The Power Stone, Born in Etosha) was commissioned by the Legal Assistance Center to create a film that aims at sensitising teenagers to the issue of poaching in Namibia.
Writer Girley Jazama (Actress in The White Line, Revere Them Those Men) and writer/director Florian Schott (Katutura, Everything Happens for a Reason) chose to tell the story from the inside out – through the eyes of an innocent but toughened-by-life 8 year old girl who is deeply rooted in nature and her own heritage. In fact, the character’s name Baxu is short for !Khubaxu, which means I come from the soil.
Through this storytelling device, which spans the time between the age of hunters and gatherers to present day, the film aims to reach an audience worldwide and for audiences to understand some of the underlying social issues in rural Namibia that can lead to poaching.
The production, which is endorsed by the Namibia Film Commission and the Save the Rhino Trust, is looking for additional support, financial or in-kind.
Filming will begin in February 2019 and the film is expected to have its World Premiere in Namibia in August 2019.
Anyone interested in learning more about the film and possibly supporting the cause can reach out to the producers at baxuandthegiants@gmail.com
ON THE ROLL: Baxu and the Giants on the right track.
PHOTO: Contributed
