SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: A private screening of the new South African documentary, Saving Rhino Phila, took place at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in Johannesburg on 19 June.
Directed by Richard Slater-Jones, this rhino conservation film was produced by Triosphere for NHU Africa. It was produced by Kira Ivanoff with Oloff Bergh the executive producer.
Saving Rhino Phila, a powerful, emotional story of one rhino’s survival in the face of repeated attacks by poachers, features extensive dramatic recreations with David James (District 9) in the role of head poacher.
The 52-minute film, which has received a Wildscreen nomination in the Conservation category, shows how rhino poaching has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa with sophisticated crime syndicates waging a devastating war against the country’s rapidly dwindling rhino population.
One of the points made in the film is that it’s been scientifically proven that rhino horn, much sought after in the Far East, has absolutely no value either as an aphrodisiac or a medicine.
When introducing the film Helene Brand, brand manager of the MyPlanet fundraising programme– a sponsor of the film in association with Woolworths – commented that the topic of rhinos is very controversial in South Africa.
“Mention the word rhino and people are torn between empathy and anger. So we have to ask ourselves what we as individuals, corporates and the media can do to fight rhino poaching. Woolworths, for instance, sells special rhino shopping bags and has managed to raise R1m for rhino conservation. South Africa needs to be passionate about rhinos’.
Saving Rhino Philia is positioned as an urgent call-to-arms and a cautionary tale of survival and extinction. (Report by Joanna Sterkowicz)
An in-depth story about the film will appear in the August issue of the Screen Africa print magazine.
