24/08/2026
“Until the last day of the shooting, I still didn’t have the full story complete.”
Here’s an insider view into AFRISOS expedition filmmaking workshops by
Eric Cajada, one the five filmmakers who joined us in the Bangweulu Swamps, Zambia . In just a few days, he had to meet Mupanga, the local nature griot whose story he was assigned to tell.
Building trust and listening closely, Eric discovered Mupanga’s connection to the shoebill, a prehistoric-looking sentinel of the Bangweulu wetlands, scientifically known as Balaeniceps rex (meaning “whale-head”). Mupanga went from once fearing it to understanding, loving and protecting it. Even as time ran out for Eric on this assignment, the story continued to reveal itself and he managed to co-create a beautiful film in the end. Mupanga was proud to see his message shared with his community through this film that was screened locally on the last day of the workshop.
This insider view from Eric takes us into his journey of filming Ubukabilo and the lessons that came with making it.
The Bangweulu Expedition Filmmaking Workshop is part of an ongoing collaboration with Great Spine of Africa to support a new generation of African storytellers telling locally grounded nature stories. Hosted with African Parks | Conservation NGO in partnership with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife and Community Resource Boards across six Chiefdoms.
With guidance from mentors Johann Vorster (Vossie), Hans Cosmas Ngoteya and scatterbrain and support from Sony Middle East and Africa and sonyprofilmmakingmea
Watch Eric’s behind-the-scenes journey into Ubukabilo.
Cover photo 📸 Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
