Destinations

I started teaching English in a remote corner of Gabon in 1981.

In 1983, my appendix burst and my heart stopped.

Near death, I left.

But made a promise to return, and did, in 2008.

My goal?

To visit the rarely mentioned and more rarely seen Kongou Falls, the largest waterfall complex in Central Africa, and to explore the spiritual life of the Gabonese, because their "waking" life is but the tip of the iceberg in understanding how they view and navigate the world.

My video is a short window on that visit, featuring the Falls, plus Bwiti initiation and Bakota circumcision ceremonies.

In 1993, I sold a program to USA Network that took me to PNG and Kenya. I handled logistics for a 15-person crew and determined the “shooting script”. In 1998, I produced a 30-minute show on Botswana for OLN and did a third of the filming.

My job always got in the way of my passion to document rituals that are fast disappearing. At 52, I can now pursue that goal full-time.

To do so, I need to improve my technical and storytelling skills, as well as my contacts. This project will help me do so.