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 Video - FilmsRegional: Africa and Indian Ocean IslandsNote: Some films on Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Mascarene Islands by Gerald Durrell in the series "Ark on the Move" are described above in the Endangered Species Section. See also "Korup--Secrets of an African Jungle" in the Endangered Ecosystems section. Films on African Elephants, Leopards, Cheetah, Wild Dogs, Chimpanzees, Gorillas and other African species are listed by category, such as “Mammals.”
Note: The title is followed by the length, producer, distributor (if different from producer), and year film was made. Unless otherwise noted, the videos listed below are VHS format. Many are available in Beta, 16mm and other formats. Some are on laser disks.
+ Indicates video sold or rented with teacher’s instruction guide.
"Garden of Eden.” 60 minutes. NOVA. WGBH/BBC. PBS films. 2000.
The Seychelles Islands east of the African continent are home to an amazing array of unusual plants and animals. This fascinating and beautiful film explains the geological history of these granite islands, vestiges of the ancient supercontinent, Gondwana. Giant tortoises once inhabited the main islands, but they were killed off by ships' crews for meat. Only on an island far to the north, remote Aldabra, do these tortoises survive. These reptiles and many of the plants may have been resident since the islands were part of Gondwana more than 65 million years ago. Today, most of the native wildlife and plants are clinging to existence by a thread, the majority of the native forests having been cut. Some of the most endangered species are seen. The lovely Seychelles Flycatcher depends on the last of these forests, as does the giant palm, the coco de mer, the largest seed in the world. Some of the islands have been declared national parks or bird sanctuaries.
"Heart of Africa." Three one-hour parts. National Geographic Society. 1996.
These three films by renowned cinematographer Alan Root are visually stunning portraits of east-central Africa: "Fire and Ice" (the Virunga Mountain range and the Rift Valley and its active volcanoes); "Jewel of the Rift" (Lake Victoria); and "Forest Primeval" (Democratic Republic of the Congo's tropical forests). Shown in letterbox format for greater detail and clarity, the films give vignettes rather than fact-filled lectures. Mountain Gorillas, beautiful turaco birds, rare Okapi antelopes, the fish of Lake Victoria and the wildlife of the Virunga Mountains give an overview of this remarkable and threatened region.
"Ichkeul: Between the Desert and the Sea." 60 minutes. Nature. PBS. WNET/BBC. 1986.
The vast expanse of the Sahara is bordered on its north in Tunisia by a huge freshwater wetland called Ichkeul. It is a haven for both migrating and native species of birds. Its biological importance and the fight to preserve this wetland are discussed.
"King Solomon's Mountains." 60 minutes. Nature. WNET/BBC. 1990.
The Bale Mountains National Park of Ethiopia is home to a wide variety of endemic and endangered species. The Simien Fox, a wolf‑like canid, is endangered due to interbreeding with feral dogs and predator control programs. Sixteen endemic and threatened species live in this national park, yet it receives little funding and few visitors. Ethiopia, a country with an unusually large number of rare mammals and birds in great need of conservation, has widespread poverty and civil unrest. Effective conservation programs are nearly impossible to initiate and maintain in such human chaos.
"Madagascar: Island of Ghosts." 60 minutes. Nature. WNET/Survival Anglia. 1991.
"Cousteau: Madagascar. Island of Heart and Soul." (Part 1.)
"Strange Encounters in Madagascar." (Part 2.) Two parts; 60 minutes each. Jacques Cousteau's Rediscovery of the World series. 1995.
"Island of the Moon: Madagascar." 60 minutes. Nature of Things. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1979.
"Madagascar. A World Apart." 60 minutes. Reader's Digest. Archipelago Films for ABC/Kane. 1998.
"The Wilds of Madagascar" 60 minutes. National Geographic Society. 1989.
The first film, "Madagascar: Island of Ghosts," concentrates on the wildlife of this huge island, beginning with the eerie cries of the largest primate, the Indri, perched high in a tree in a misty rainforest. As in other films produced by WNET in the Nature series, the narrative is both eloquent and accurate. The island is one of the world's hotspots of high biodiversity. Unfortunately, its endemic wildlife is disappearing along with its forests. The catastrophic damage already done to the land is shown in all these films. The Ankarana region in the north, where the beautiful and endemic Crowned and Sanford's Lemurs live in a kind of natural fortress guarded by jagged high rocks, is featured in "The Wilds of Madagascar." The Crowned Lemurs are so tame that they come within inches of a Cousteau photographer, and this area seems much as it once was before humans came to Madagascar, with spectacular vistas of forests, hidden ponds and rare birds. "Island of the Moon: Madagascar" is an excellent film, giving an overview of many of the island's unique wildlife species (lemurs, birds, reptiles and endemic plants) and their imminent demise if changes are not made. It was voted “Best Film” of the 1981 International Wildlife Film Festival. The National Geographic expedition ("The Wilds of Madagascar") made the first sighting of a Perrier's Black Sifaka, one of the rarest of all lemurs. Most of Madagascar's birds exist nowhere else, and many are endangered. Species such as the iridescent Souimanga's Sunbird, Hooked Vanga and Madagascar Harrier Hawk reside in the last of the island's forests. More chameleons exist here than anywhere else in the world, and several films capture their diversity and strangeness. "Madagascar. A World Apart," the most recent film, begins with the eastern rainforests and travels clockwise around the island, visiting its various ecosystems. Extraordinary close-ups give this film a sense of drama and immediacy. Chameleons unfurl their sticky tongues in an instant to capture an insect, geckoes blend into tree trunks, and the island's primitive carnivore, the Fossa, chases nocturnal lemurs. The Bandru lemur of the reedbeds of Lake Alaotra escapes a fire set by the Malagasy. These animals, like most wildlife on Madagascar, are imperiled as a result of the continued destruction of the island. Attention has finally been focused on this extraordinary island and its highly endangered life forms. These films show the desperate poverty of the Malagasy people, whose populations have outstripped the island's resources, unaware that they are eliminating some of the Earth's most unusual and precious plants and animals. Conservation solutions are presented in greatest detail in the Nature film, "Madagascar. Island of Ghosts," with discussion of debt for nature swaps, alternate fuel sources for the people and education. (See also Mammals section for "Spirits of the Forest” and "Dance of the Sifakas," films about lemurs.)
"Namaqualand. Diary of a Desert Garden." 60 minutes. Nature. WNET/BBC. 1985.
The desert of Namibia can go for years without rain falling, and the wildlife survives by various biological adaptations. When rain does come, seeds that have lain dormant can suddenly sprout, and the desiccated landscape becomes covered with brilliant flowers. Toads that have gone into torpor take advantage of the waters and emerge to breed and lay eggs. Brown Hyenas, Cheetahs and even African Elephants have adapted to this harsh environment.
"Okavango. Jewel of the Kalahari." Three one‑hour parts. Nature. PBS. Partridge Films. BBC/WNET. 1988.
This series highlights one of the world's great wetlands, the Okavango Swamp of Botswana. The wildlife and plants of this huge inland marsh are beautifully photographed and described. Surrounded by desert and dryland, this swamp is a geological accident, the delta of a river that once flowed to the sea. It is a true oasis for the wildlife of the region, a very diverse and pristine wilderness. Threats to the Okavango from drainage projects have caused some loss. This wetland is reminiscent of the original Everglades, except that the mammal fauna is far more diverse--African Elephants, aquatic species of deer, Hippopotamuses, gazelles, and antelope are among the native species.
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