Case Study

Our Gorongosa (2019)

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has become one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife restoration stories.

“This is a new vision for conservation in the 21st Century, where people and animals must coexist—to the benefit of them all.”

The film tells the human development story of the 200,000 people who live near the park, in particular girls and women. This is a new vision for conservation in the 21st Century, where people and animals must coexist—to the benefit of them all.

Creative Design

The film opens with Dominique Gonçalves, a Mozambican elephant ecologist, showing young girls photos of the elephants she studies and talking about the importance of education.

They are spellbound by her journey and words of encouragement, which sets the tone for the film. Gonçalves takes viewers on a journey of hope as she shares stories of human/elephant coexistence at schools, community clubs, and health clinics.

The filmmakers’ focused on authenticity, intimacy, and voice. “We wanted the film to feel as ‘unmediated’ as possible. We strived to create a direct emotional connection between these characters and the audience. This is their story told in their voice.”

Outreach Strategies

The film promotes civic engagement on a local and continental scale, through policymaking, conservation funding and development. The target audience is both local communities and all those interested in conservation and human development projects in Africa.

Collaborative Models

An editorial committee of Mozambicans, comprised mainly of women, helped to ensure authentic representation of the issues, voices and perspectives.

The filmmakers collaborated with the community throughout the filmmaking process, and provided GoPro cameras to those on the frontline of the human-elephant conflict to film their own stories.

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