The Wild West of Namibia Documentary

Making of Blog post here lamanchamedia.org/2013/03/making-of-wild-west-of-namibia.html 

The Wild West of Nambia explores the great and eerie Skeleton Coast, the shipwrecks there including the Dunedin Star, the souls of the dead diamond hunters on her shores and the history of the diamond rush at the turn of the century. Inland discoveries include the elusive Flip Stander, who has lived in the desert among the desert lions, documenting them for his website, desertlion.info. After a surreptitious border crossing into Angola we learn of the Himba people, their matriarchal society, their tragic past, the infamous German General Lother Von Trotha, who nearly decimated them in what is considered a precursor to the Nazi Genocide, as well as their future struggles in preventing a hydro electric dam from ruining their lands and way of life.


Making of the Film

David Whalen was invited along on an adventure trip to Namibia, Africa, by Richard Taylor, a well seasoned world traveler  The trip was uniquely planned by Henry Cookson of the UK who organized the Walking with the Wounded Project with Prince Harry. We flew into desolate locations visiting the Himba Tribe on the Angola Border as well as the elusive Dr. Flip Stander who normally never receives visitors. David Whalen filmed the entire trip with one DSLR camera (Panasonic GH2) and a GoPro Hero 2 (off the wing timelapses) and no additional support. David Whalen also wrote the detailed script which provides the viewer with a large cache of information about the area while being entertained at the same time.

Music in the Wild West of Namibia 

by cello concertist John Michel, performing works such as Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prelude, Allemande & Minuets by J.S. Bach, as well as pieces by Chopin, Dvořák and Beethoven. 

Technical Aspects of Film:
Cameras: 
Panasonic GH2 & GoPro Hero2
Lenses:
Lumix 14-42mm with wide angle adapter
Lumix G VARIO 100-300mm
Lumix G 20mm 1.7
Edited: 
Premiere Pro CS5.5, Magic Bullet Colorista & Looks 

The Wild West of Namibia was featured in the Africa World Documentary Film Festival at the following locations: The Missouri History Museum in St Louis; The University of Yaoundé, Cameroon; and The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

Clips from The Wild West of Namibia was shown on German Broadcast ZDF TV on a show called Terra X in Jan 2014. Click here to see episode online.

 A Map of the Area 

Thanks to all the following persons for supporting our successful IndieGoGo campaign:
Marilucia Garcia Cavalcanti
Marieta, Angela, Stela & Susana Garcia
Carol & Marina GC Barreiros
Stefano Felippe de Almeida & Family
Joselito Canto
Felippe & Julia

Dr. Flip Stander (desert lion scientist)

Great Namib Desert

Oryx

Dr. Flip Stander's research vehicle (home)

Bertus Schoeman's plane

Bertus Schoeman (pilot), Richard Taylor (producer), Gov't Employee in Skeleton Coast

Extremely Rare Cheetah

Natalia Veta (camp chef)

Henry Cookson (tour guide)

A Himba lady

Pieter de Wet (Namibian guide)

David Whalen (filmmaker)