National Geographic’s short film, Akashinga: The Brave Ones, premiered this past Earth Day at the EarthxFilm Festival and was selected as part of the AFI Docs Film Festival, which went virtual this year from June 17th to 21st. Executive produced by three-time Academy Award winner James Cameron and directed by Maria Wilhelm, the 15-minute short offers an uplifting look at a group of women in Zimbabwe who are saving and changing lives. It’s a story about what can be achieved when communities come together and are open to contributions from all members of society.
The film primarily focuses on two individuals, Damien Mander and Petronella Chigumbura. Damien was an Australian special forces soldier who became an anti-poaching leader. Watching wildlife reserves turn into warzones, he realized that the best way to fight poaching was by getting the entire community involved, which would only be done through women.
Petronella Chigumbura was one of Damien’s first recruits and in the film, we see her taking part in training a new team of recruits, not all of whom will make it to the end of the program to become Akashinga Rangers. Through Petronella, audiences learn about the reasons these women are joining the fight. For many, it’s a rare opportunity to get a job that pays, allowing them to feed their family or buy land, opportunities to afford higher education and in some cases, the ability to leave an abusive home environment.
At face value, Akashinga: The Brave Ones looks like another conservation documentary with gender roles reversed. It’s so much more than that, telling a story about a community and the incredible work these brave women are doing. It highlights their successes along with the real danger they put themselves in every day.
Akashinga: The Brave Ones will continue to be shown at other festivals throughout the year, including the Tribeca Drive-In Film Festival, with a National Geographic broadcast at some point in the future. It’s an inspiring film that makes you wonder what other communities can achieve if they were to adopt similar practices. The film closes with a link for more information on how viewers can help support this initiative through the International Anti-Poaching Foundation.
I give Akashinga: The Brave Ones 5 out of 5 inspiring stories.