Local filmmakers dazzle with awe-inspiring nature documentary
Win one of two Showmax vouchers by answering the question below.
Few get the privileged opportunity to experience the bewildering power of nature at its rarest and most raw. Through the cultured use of image and sound, two storytelling maestros weave together a sensory epic bursting with wonder and majesty.
Multiple award winning filmmaker and cinematographer, Susan Scott, and acclaimed journalist, presenter and filmmaker, Bonné de Bod, take their audience on a transcontinental journey to the heartlands of myth and legend. Kingdoms of Fire, Ice and Fairytales is a spellbinding close-up of the natural beauty of three of the most iconic environments on the planet.
Following up on the four-year, emotionally draining exposé, Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War the intrepid adventurers opted for a change of scenery. “After Stroop both Susan and I felt we needed to reconnect with nature, do something a little different for our soul, and Kingdoms is the result of that,” said the former 50/ 50 icon, Bonné.
The documentary, interspersed with behind-the-scenes clips, takes intimate footage of each location’s beasts and exquisitely matches it to a powerful score, immersing the viewer in an audio-visual work of art. Travel from the geysers and super-heated streams of Yellowstone National Park to the polar spectacular of the Arctic Circle via the birth place of European fables, the Black Forest, all under the raspy narration of the enchanting Bonné.
Filmed independently by the pair, the twenty hours of film was captured sans the help of a Hollywood-style crew. “We had to lug cameras, audio recording equipment and lighting around with us on planes and trains, but mostly on foot,” recalled Susan. The settings also required personal adjustments, as Susan joked, “I only know about shooting in the heat. I know how to deal with that but filming in the cold is a whole new ball game.”
Kingdoms of Fire, Ice and Fairytales will be premiering on Showmax today, 3 December with a screening on kykNET on 14 January.
You can win one of two Showmax vouchers by answering this simple question: Name any two of the three locations featured in Kingdoms of Fire, Ice and Fairytales. Email your answer, name and telephone number to roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za.
