Hot Docs doc takes an insider’s look at community conservation in Africa

Director David E. Simpson popped on a plane from the United States and then jumped into a Jeep in Africa to film a documentary about the difficult decisions community-based conservationists have to make everyday. Amanda Connon-Unda reviews.

Director David E. Simpson checks playback with James Ole Kinyaga, senior host of the Il Ngwesi Lodge (Kenya)

One day last month, the Bloor Cinema was crowded as it has ever been. 

By the time David E. Simpson, the director of a new documentary film called “Milking the Rhino” announced his film would start, there were no seats left in the theatre. 

He said proudly as he introduced himself, “I’m from Chicago, the home of Obama,” and continued, “Growing up, I saw nature films about the mythical Wild Africa and there were always good guys and bad guys in them. The good guys were the conservationists and the bad guys were the Africans poaching wild animals.”  

As Simpson explained prior to his Hot Docs “Doc Soup” screening last month, “In researching the film, I realized it’s not so simple.” 

The model of wildlife conservation has been evolving for centuries in African countries and in North America. First, starting in the late 1800s, there was a preservationist paradigm — erect fences around land to protect animals from human populations. After that, in the second half of the 20th century, as many African nations became independent, and so conservation again became controversial and created political conflicts. But for the last thirty years, the model of conservation has been changing yet again.  

Simpson said, “It’s local people having a stake more now.” 

The newest model is called community-based conservation (CMC), and in it communities own land for sustainable usage. Community groups are making decisions about how the land can be used based on their long-time traditions and new conservation education. They are sometimes operating ecolodges and cultural tourism businesses. This model of conservation is very positive because it recognizes communities’ historical rights of tenure to resources and land, something that was taken away during times of colonialism.   

Simpson explained why his film is different. He said, “Most of those nature films about conservation don’t show the people’s perspective. We filmed the people involved, rather than the animals. We filmed two communities that are changing rapidly…” 

This film features several groups of Maasai in Kenya and Himba in Namibia who are doing conservation work. And, to his credit, Simpson’s view and mastery of the camera lens is not colonizing in the way it depicts the people and the stories. In fact, it’s very critical of how some of the European tourism establishments in the region want to impose their own image of how the local ‘traditional people’ should be. Simpson really gets perspectives from the main characters, John and James, and the people in their communities.  

While the film was being created, there was a drought in Kenya and the Maasai cattle herders were in crisis because their cattle were dying from starvation. It was devastating to see that without rain there are no grasses for the cattle. The scenes were evocative and sad. The natural conflict between the cattle herders, the larger ranch owners, and the community groups operating the ecolodges for tourists set the stage for drama. Throughout the film, Simpson engages with the issues at hand, and reveals the complex decisions that these communities are making.  

During the Q&A after the film, someone from the audience asked “When you made this film, how did you get the locals to trust you, to film them while they were negotiating land uses?” 

Simpson replied, “We got our introductions from the right people. In Namibia, a grassroots NGO that knows the community introduced us. We filmed and followed John (a community organizer in Namibia) and James (an organizer in Kenya), and that made a big difference… The more remote the location, the more desirable they (the Maasai and Himba) become for film makers. These communities had already had media experience. We found ourselves doing damage control. But we wanted to get their experiences and they understood that.”  

When asked for updates on the community groups, Simpson said, “In Namibia, the community built their own lodge.” And according to Simpson, “They’re calling the shots now. And, the women in this community have expanded their business. They harvested around 50 tones of resin last year, and directed the benefits to households. They have contracts in Europe to provide plant oils for use in perfumes. The women who started this project have now allowed the men to participate. But, they are ensuring the harvesting is still done correctly.” Simpson cracked a joke about the women taking charge, and the audience laughed approvingly. 

Simpson’s vision for the film is to have an open air screening under the stars in a rural tour around the regions where the film was shot. Of course he said he has already showed the participants the rough cuts, while the film premiered in South Africa. He said, “The dream is to bring together the villagers to create cross-pollination of the ideas they have, to spur further collaborative thinking. They can look at what the Maasai are doing and take it and adapt it to their own circumstances.” 

He’ll have to raise money for that though. But he’s pulled off this film with the help of many participants thus far, and garnered plenty of interest in the project. It’s not beyond reasonable doubt to suggest that this film will encourage further community development, not just in Windhoek or Nairobi, but maybe in every city or rural area where it is shown.  

Simpson said, with one camera, three month-long trips during 2005 to 2007, and after a five year process that included research and treatments, the film was finally completed. By this April, the film will be out on DVD and information can be found on its website: MilkingtheRhino.org.