Namibian film coming to Netflix soon
02 September 2020 | Art and Entertainment
Windhoek • [email protected]
The short film Baxu and the Giants will soon be the first Namibian film to air on Netflix.
The film was released last September and received international acclaim, including best foreign language story by the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival and best cinematography by the Canadian and European Cinematography Awards.
According to the man who wrote the screenplay and sat in the director's chair, Florian Schott, this played a huge part in the film's debut on Netflix.
“We travelled to various film festivals around the world with the film where we met various directors, distributors and agents. At the Rapid Lion International Film Festival in Johannesburg, my path crossed with that of a South African agent. When they heard Netflix would like to expand their content to short films, they suggested Baxu and the Giants.
“Netflix immediately showed interest in our film,” Schott said from Germany. “However, these things take time and we first had to negotiate. There are also many technical requirements that a movie must meet for Netflix's standards.”
According to Schott, this is a wonderful opportunity, not only for film-makers, but also for the local film community. “The fact that a Namibian film is appearing on Netflix means that we now have the potential to distribute more local films on an international level. We no longer only make films for local audiences, but possibly for audiences around the world.”
Impact of poaching
The story focuses on the social change brought about in a rural Namibian community by rhino poaching, as told from the point of view of a nine-year-old girl. With this narrative, Baxu and the Giants aims to create awareness among young audiences, especially children and teenagers, about environmental issues such as rhino poaching, and to keep the conversation going. “We hope many young people will look at it and learn more respect for nature and the environment from it,” Schott said.
The exact date for the film’s Netflix premiere is not yet know, but “it will definitely be in the next few weeks,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to all the individuals and institutions who made the film a reality. “Thank you to everyone who was part of this beautiful journey. Everyone who shared their passion and talent. We would not be here without you.”
The short film Baxu and the Giants will soon be the first Namibian film to air on Netflix.
The film was released last September and received international acclaim, including best foreign language story by the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival and best cinematography by the Canadian and European Cinematography Awards.
According to the man who wrote the screenplay and sat in the director's chair, Florian Schott, this played a huge part in the film's debut on Netflix.
“We travelled to various film festivals around the world with the film where we met various directors, distributors and agents. At the Rapid Lion International Film Festival in Johannesburg, my path crossed with that of a South African agent. When they heard Netflix would like to expand their content to short films, they suggested Baxu and the Giants.
“Netflix immediately showed interest in our film,” Schott said from Germany. “However, these things take time and we first had to negotiate. There are also many technical requirements that a movie must meet for Netflix's standards.”
According to Schott, this is a wonderful opportunity, not only for film-makers, but also for the local film community. “The fact that a Namibian film is appearing on Netflix means that we now have the potential to distribute more local films on an international level. We no longer only make films for local audiences, but possibly for audiences around the world.”
Impact of poaching
The story focuses on the social change brought about in a rural Namibian community by rhino poaching, as told from the point of view of a nine-year-old girl. With this narrative, Baxu and the Giants aims to create awareness among young audiences, especially children and teenagers, about environmental issues such as rhino poaching, and to keep the conversation going. “We hope many young people will look at it and learn more respect for nature and the environment from it,” Schott said.
The exact date for the film’s Netflix premiere is not yet know, but “it will definitely be in the next few weeks,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to all the individuals and institutions who made the film a reality. “Thank you to everyone who was part of this beautiful journey. Everyone who shared their passion and talent. We would not be here without you.”
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