Milking the Rhino
Encyclopedia
Milking the Rhino is a 2009 documentary film
, produced by Kartemquin Films
, that examines the relationship between the indigenous African wildlife, the villagers who live amongst this wildlife and conservationists who look to keep tourism dollars coming in. Both the Maasai of Kenya and the Himba of Namibia have spent centuries as cattle farmers. With their lands being turned into protected game reserves, these ancient tribes have turned to tourism as a means of survival.
While some environmentalists think that community-based conservation is ideal for these villagers, the dangers of drought and the starvation of their cattle remains a constant reality. Stuck between the always growing Western influence that wants Africa to remain a place for sight-seeing safaris and their own ancient cultures, the Maasai and Himba are at a crossroads of cultural change.
The Kenyan section of the movie features interviews with Kinanjui Lesenderia, an Ndorobo Maasai elder at Il Ngwesi in Kenya, Ian Craig, former rancher and founder of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, James Ole Kinyaga, Senior Host of Kenya’s first community-owned and managed eco-lodge and Helen Gichohi
, President of the African Wildlife Foundation.
Produced by Kartemquin Films
and directed by David E. Simpson, Milking the Rhino won numerous awards at multiple international film festivals, including Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival and San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. On April 7, 2009, Milking the Rhino made its television premiere on PBS's Independent Lens
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, produced by Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1966 by Gordon Quinn, Jerry Temaner and Stan Karter, three University of Chicago graduates who wanted to make documentary films guided by their principle of "Cinematic Social Inquiry." They were soon joined by Jerry Blumenthal...
, that examines the relationship between the indigenous African wildlife, the villagers who live amongst this wildlife and conservationists who look to keep tourism dollars coming in. Both the Maasai of Kenya and the Himba of Namibia have spent centuries as cattle farmers. With their lands being turned into protected game reserves, these ancient tribes have turned to tourism as a means of survival.
While some environmentalists think that community-based conservation is ideal for these villagers, the dangers of drought and the starvation of their cattle remains a constant reality. Stuck between the always growing Western influence that wants Africa to remain a place for sight-seeing safaris and their own ancient cultures, the Maasai and Himba are at a crossroads of cultural change.
The Kenyan section of the movie features interviews with Kinanjui Lesenderia, an Ndorobo Maasai elder at Il Ngwesi in Kenya, Ian Craig, former rancher and founder of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, James Ole Kinyaga, Senior Host of Kenya’s first community-owned and managed eco-lodge and Helen Gichohi
Helen Gichohi
Helen Wanjiru Gichohi is a Kenyan ecologist who was elected President of the African Wildlife Foundation in January 2007.-Education:Helen Gichohi was born into an agricultural community in central Kenya, where animals were seen as something to be exploited rather then to be protected.She earned a...
, President of the African Wildlife Foundation.
Produced by Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1966 by Gordon Quinn, Jerry Temaner and Stan Karter, three University of Chicago graduates who wanted to make documentary films guided by their principle of "Cinematic Social Inquiry." They were soon joined by Jerry Blumenthal...
and directed by David E. Simpson, Milking the Rhino won numerous awards at multiple international film festivals, including Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival and San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. On April 7, 2009, Milking the Rhino made its television premiere on PBS's Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
.