Okavango: River of Dreams, the definitive series on the mystical Okavango premieres on National Geographic Wild this September
An insider’s view of one of the greatest river systems on the planet, produced by multi award-winning South African film makers Beverly and Dereck Joubert.
The Okavango is a river that starts inland and ends inland. It is the only one in the world that goes from nowhere, to nowhere…. but what a journey. One of the last remaining wild places on Earth, the Okavango Delta in Southern Africa was named by UNESCO as the 1 000th World Heritage Site. Okavango, River of Dreams, a three part series which presents the amazing landscapes and wildlife of the Upper Okavango river, will premiere on National Geographic Wild on 5 September 2019 at 18:00 CAT.
Like all wild ecosystems, the Okavango thrives on change and everything is connected to everything else. Lions chase elephants, who chase hippos, who chase crocodiles, who chase barbell fish, who chase insects driven up the grass stalks by rising waters. These circles of life are the real stories that tell the larger story of this river. The river is just the connecting tissue. Okavango, River of Dreams presents an inspiring exploration of the exceptional life in this unique wilderness, which provides refuge to vast populations of wildlife.
This unique series also tells the story of Fekeetsa, a lioness, and her life in this watery world. Fekeetsa, meaning “overcoming challenges”, became a talisman for Beverly Joubert as they shared a parallel journey. At the time of shooting Okavango, River of Dreams, Beverly was recovering from a brutal Buffalo attack. She describes Feeketsa as “a source of strength and perseverance, who inspired me to keep on, as she too was recovering from the same injury. Her resilience and tenacity were incredible to see.”
“This series is based on the premise that someone’s paradise is someone else’s hell. And it is. A lioness hunts in the swamp and turns a lechwe antelope’s life upside down, as her baby is killed. However, the lioness carries this kill back to her own cubs and saves their lives. This series is designed to be a poetic balance of adoration for the magic of the Okavango and an understanding of the science it presents us to unravel” said Dereck Joubert.
Okavango, River of Dreams is produced by National Geographic explorers-in-residence, Beverly and Dereck Joubert. They have lived in the Okavango for 35 years, a place that has given them nine Emmy Awards, a Peabody and a range of others, as well as a few scrapes and bruises, 21 scorpion stings, three snake bites, four elephant attacks, a nearly deadly buffalo attack, malaria, and airplane crashes. “The result is a die-hard understanding of what this magical, but harsh place, is all about and our quest to reveal the real Okavango” continued Joubert.
“We are extremely fortunate to have one of the world’s most pristine wilderness areas right here in Southern Africa. The Okavango has captured the imagination of wildlife enthusiasts for decades, as the more exploration is done, the more intrigue it presents. We look forward to another magnificent production by Beverly and Dereck Joubert” said Evert Van Der Veer, for Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company Africa.
Join National Geographic Wild on this magical journey of the Okavango and understand why it is sometimes referred to as the place of the ‘Untamed Spirit’. Perhaps it will speak to your own wild side, on 5, 6 and 7 September 2019 at 18:00.
