A RESPONSE TO AMBER VOGEL/SARAH BYATT'S
REQUEST FOR HELP RE EAST AFRICA
Whilst I am sure the film through explorer's eyes could be very interesting
and evocative of a particular experience of Africa I find the assumption in
your request that all the explorers encountered were 'the place the
landscape the wildlife' a little disturbing. What of the people who were
living there when the explorers/settlers/travellers arrived? Was there no
emotional response to them or were they merely landscape or perhaps
wildlife?
If you are keen to follow up their thoughts/emotional responses there are
very likely to be wonderful songs/poems/tales in the oral tradition which
would reflect a strong sense of what it felt like to have
settlers/travellers/explorers making their way into your life.
As a film-maker born and bred in Africa and keen to see the development of
films which tell stories from our perspective it hurts to perceive the
assumptions in your request. I hope you will explore local perspectives as
well in your story.
>Originally from: Amber Vogel <ottotwo@email.unc.edu>
>Originally dated: Sun, 24 Aug 97 11:03:00 PDT
>
>****************************************************
>Sender: owner-african-cinema-conference
>Precedence: bulk
>Reply-To: african-cinema-conference@xc.org
>
>A PLEA FOR HELP - BEING THERE : EAST AFRICA
>
>
>I am currently producing a film on the history of exploration of East
> Africa for the BBC Natural History Unit in the U.K. The film is for a
> series called 'Being There', that uses the writings of explorers and
> others, set to natural history footage, to paint an atmospheric
> portrait of a continent, and its wildlife, as seen through the eyes of
> the explorers.
>
>I am looking for beautifully written, evocative quotes from explorers,
> travellers / settlers, who have written about their experiences in
> East Africa (Kenya / Tanzania).
>I am particularly interested in quotes that describe the author's
> emotional response to the place, to the landscape, or to the wildlife.
> The idea of the film is to evoke a sense of what it is, or was, like
> to be in East Africa.
>
>If you have a favourite quote, or piece of writing that you think would
> be suitable, please let me know.
>I'd love to hear from you. Please send your thoughts to me by e-mail
> at : Sarah.Byatt@bbc.co.uk
>
>Thank you in advance for your help and interest in the project.
>
>Sarah Byatt.
> (Producer, 'Being There', BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol, UK)
>(This message was kindly forwarded to you, on my behalf, by Amber
> Vogel, who is currently helping me with research for the film.)
>*********************************************************
>
>Amber Vogel
>The Journal of African Travel-Writing
>ottotwo@email.unc.edu
>
e-mail: tomas@iafrica.com
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In-Reply-To: 199708252112.OAA10004@abraham.xc.org