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Films for Change

Films have the power to make people feel something. They engage, evoke emotion and encourage thought. Storytelling is at the heart of each and every one of our films.

Black Bean ‘Films for Change’ includes all of our work that is focussed on sharing stories and work being done that has a greater purpose, affecting change in the world. We have filmed a number of organisations working to address environmental and humanitarian issues. The work these organisations are doing benefits us all and we believe it’s important to share their work and to support them. This is the core of who we are and why we started Black Bean. Our first ‘film for change’ was about the SANParks Honorary Rangers in the Kruger National Park and their anti-poaching unit that work hard on the ground to protect rhinos that are under huge threat due to poaching.

We hope to create change by telling these stories, allowing these people to continue the work they are doing and receive support. You can be a part of this change and good work by watching our films, sharing them and choosing an organisation to support.

Together, we can highlight the good in the world and make sure it continues to happen. Here’s how you can help the causes that we’ve brought to your attention:

Share our films

Learn more about the cause

Be a voice for those that need recognition and support

Don’t buy products that could have originated from an endangered animal

Report suspicious activity to the authorities

Donate to a cause that means something to you

Volunteer your time

THE LOST CHIMPS OF KYAMBURA GORGE – VOLCANOES SAFARIS

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THE MALILANGWE SCOUTS – MALILANGWE TRUST

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DEHORNING A RHINO IN THE WILD – EMPOWERS AFRICA, WILDLANDS, WILDLIFE ACT

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THE MALILANGWE SCOUTS – MALILANGWE TRUST

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THE HUNT FOR MEDALS, NOT LIONS – BIG LIFE FOUNDATION

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WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 2016 – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE VISITS AFRICA – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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LION TRANSLOCATION – EMPOWERS AFRICA, WILDLANDS, BLOOD LIONS

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FROM THE FRONTLINE – SAVING OUR RHINO – SANPARKS

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SAVING THE NORTHERN WHITE RHINO – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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SAVING THE LAST NORTHERN WHITE RHINO – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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DEHORNING A RHINO – EMPOWERS AFRICA

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I AM A RANGER – OL PEJETA, UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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THE WILDLIFE PROTECTOR – SINGITA GRUMETI FUND

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ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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BOY AND LAST RHINO – UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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A CARER’S LOVE – SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST, UNITED FOR WILDLIFE

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LUANGWA RIVER – WWF ZAMBIA

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THE BLACK MAMBAS ANTI-POACHING UNIT – SANPARKS

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K9 ANTI-POACHING UNIT – GRUMETI FUND

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Kolisi Foundation, One By One

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We offer photography as part of our services, as well as film production, and we can build this into our deliverables.

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The Lost Chimps of Kyambura Gorge

The Kyambura Gorge, a mystical sunken forest, is located at the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda and is home to some incredibly diverse wildlife. Amongst this wildlife are 27 chimpanzees, who have become known as the “Lost Chimpanzees”. These chimps have been isolated and completely cut off from the rest of the vast jungle in Queen Elizabeth National Park, as a result of deforestation and the expansion of local communities. This isolation has left them on the brink of extinction. Volcanoes Safaris is working tirelessly to safeguard not only these chimpanzees, but the entire Kyambura Gorge ecosystem.

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The Malilangwe Scouts

This film documents a team of dedicated individuals fighting to protect Zimbabwe’s natural heritage, with a focus on rhinos. The Malilangwe Trust’s Scouts have proven that anti-poaching is not just about training and discipline, it’s also about forming bonds with those in your team. The Malilangwe Trust focuses on harmonising conservation activities, community development programs and ecotourism to protect 130 000 acres of pristine wilderness.

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Dehorning a Rhino in the Wild

While on assignment for Empowers Africa, our team documented the dehorning of a rhino in the wild. While dehorning aids in the fight to save every single rhino that we can – a deterrent to poachers who are incredibly active currently in the Kwazulu-Natal area, it is not an easy call to make. This film showcases the extreme reality of poaching.

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The Hunt for Medals, Not Lions

While on assignment for Big Life Foundation, our Black Bean Productions team was able to document the Maasai Olympics. In the past, in Maasai culture, in order to become a Warrior, young men had to kill a lion to prove their bravery. In response to the decrease in lion populations in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem, 8 Maasai elders approached the Big Life team to find a way to eliminate lion hunting from the Maasai culture, while still honouring Maasai traditions, and so the Maasai Olympics was created. This incredible initiative is so much more than just a sporting event and has found a way to ensure the long-term survival of lions in this area by working together with local communities.

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World Elephant Day 2016

World Elephant Day, celebrated on the 12th of August, is a day dedicating to raising awareness around the critical threats elephants are facing across Africa and Asia, and the conservation efforts needed to save our elephants. Elephants are being killed for their tusks at an alarming rate, if don’t act now certain elephant species could be extinct by 2025.
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The Duke of Cambridge Visits Africa

Our team documented the Duke of Cambridge’s trip and work with Tusk and United for Wildlife. This trip created awareness around the critical issue of the illegal ivory trade. The Taskforce, a United for Wildlife initiative works to investigate how, and where smugglers move illegal products into and out of countries. Through the Duke’s involvement and leadership, there is a move to prevent these modes of transport having the availability to move such product. The goal is to join hands globally and work together to put a stop to the illegal wildlife trade.
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Lion Translocation

Over the last century wild lion populations have declined drastically. In order to protect wild lion populations from further decline, a ground-breaking relocation project was initiated to move a pride from the Phinda Private Game Reserve to the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve.

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From the Frontline: Saving our Rhino

This film was made in support of the SANParks Honorary Rangers. This is a volunteer organisation working alongside SANParks (South Africa National Parks) to support conservation efforts in South Africa’s national parks.
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Saving the Northern White Rhino

On assignment for United for Wildlife, we documented the last three Northern White Rhino at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Since filming, Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino has sadly passed away, leaving only two remaining Northern White Rhino in the world. Alongside other organizations, Ol Pejeta is conducting research in In Vitro Fertilization in the hope of saving this magnificent species.

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I am a Ranger

This film looks at the amazing rangers at The Ol Pejeta Conservancy who are working to help save our wildlife, their stories and why they are committed to protecting these animals. 

The film aims to give viewers some insight into the challenges these rangers face and their view on the current situation as regards wildlife crime in Africa. Some of the individuals featured are from Ol Pejeta’s highly effective anti-poaching unit, some work in human-wildlife conflict and others are caregivers to the last northern white rhinos on earth – guarding these three rhino 24/7.

United for Wildlife, through this film, aims to give Rangers a voice. They are the ones fighting the war on the ground and working tirelessly in the field to protect our wildlife. And it’s about time we celebrate these men and women that are doing this work all over Africa, and the world. These are people with incredible insight and knowledge.

This film focuses on the rangers working at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy – but they represent so many other rangers – men and women.

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The Wildlife Protector

The Grumeti Fund is doing incredible work to protect the Serengeti ecosystem and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. The Grumeti Fund employs a team of 100 game scouts. All of these men come from the local communities bordering the concessions, and many of them have a history of poaching involvement. This film documents the work these scouts are doing on the ground to protect wildlife and the challenges they face and their day-to-day lives working in one of the most pristine natural environments in Africa.
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UFW Illegal Wildlife Trade

The illegal wildlife trade is a global crisis, which is pushing some of the world’s most iconic species to the brink of extinction. While on assignment for United for Wildlife we were able to document the important work they are doing to put an end to the illegal wildlife trade and save our wildlife.
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UFW Boy and the last Rhino

With the current rate of poaching and habitat loss, our grandchildren may not experience wildlife in a natural environment the way we’ve been able to, the way you can today. This is cause enough to stand and make a change, to leave a lasting legacy for our future generations. While in Kenya at The Ol Pejeta Conservancy on assignment for United for Wildlife, we were able to document the issues facing our rhino and what is being done to protect and save the species from extinction.
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DSWT - A Carer's Love

Did you know that a baby elephant needs to feed every 3 hours? They are so reliant on their mothers, so when orphaned and rescued like at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust it takes huge dedication and care to look after these animals and rear them in a way that allows them to be rehabilitated back into the wild later on. The bond that forms between orphaned elephants and the carers who look after them is so vital to their survival and successful rehabilitation. The work David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust does is so important and has helped over 200 orphaned elephants.
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WWF Zambia - Luangwa River

The Luangwa is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Zambia and supports some of the country’s highest concentrations of elephants, hippos, buffalo and birds.

WWF-US has worked tirelessly, advocating for the protection of the Luangwa River in order to keep this river free flowing river, allowing it to continue to serve as a life source for vulnerable biodiversity and local communities for generations to come.

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The Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit

Constantly plagued by rhino and bush-meat poachers, The Greater Kruger National Park is home to the largest population of rhino in South Africa. The Black Mamba Anti-Peaching Unit is the first of its kind, being that the majority of their teams are women. The main objective of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit is the protection of wildlife, which they achieve through boots on the ground and a community-based approach to conservation.

The Black Mambas believe that the war on poaching is bigger than guns and bullets and can only be won through empowering the local communities and providing education.

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Grumeti Fund - K9 Anti-Poaching Unit

This film documents the story of wildlife conservation heroes, Grumeti Fund’s K9 unit, who work side by side with the Tanzania Wildlife Authority to undertake law enforcement as well as conservation management throughout the protected areas in the Serengeti. This K9 unit is comprised of dogs who were rescued from shelters and provided with training and handlers, has a huge impact on the fight to conserve wildlife in the Serengeti ecosystem.

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Kolisi Foundation, One By One

The Kolisi Foundation wants to change the narratives of inequality in South Africa. The Kolisi Foundation has a vision to change narratives of inequality in South Africa. The Kolisi Foundation seeks to support people living in under-resourced communities in South Africa, by providing resources, facilitating capacity-building and horizontal learning exchanges, and advocating towards systemic change. They are commented to their motto ‘Remember the one, one by one’ and are working tirelessly to make a difference in people’s lives. Watch this film to learn more about the work the Kolisi Foundation is doing and how you can help.

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