This piece is part of a longer documentary
created during my abroad semester in Botswana, Africa (2009), where I filmed
three individuals working and living near an ecotourist site. As an
environmental studies major I was interested in two things; how humans perceive
wilderness and how film might be used as a tool for environmental awareness. I
wanted my documentary to improve on previous environmental films. Where had
they failed and how could their messages be improved? Therefore, I spent a
semester in 2008, doing background research on human perceptions of wilderness,
the impact of images in articulating environmental messages, and the role of
film on Africa. In understanding these discussions I could make better
ethical decisions about how to portray human-nature relationships found in
Botswana. I therefore chose subjects such as Rustu seen in the attached video
because his perspective on tourism and wildlife were culturally and socially
created. Since he spoke very little English one of the challenges I faced was
communication. Using my conversational Setswana, I had to write focused
questions and give filming direction, which created some miscommunication. As a
storyteller my ambition is to challenge an audience to think differently about
their connection to environment.
