WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, from east to south

271pp., b/w & colour illus., paperback, First SA Edition, Hermanus, 2024

First published in the UK and USA in 2023.

Ian Glenn on the relationship between filmmaking in Southern Africa and international broadcasters and audiences. Filmmakers discussed include Michael Rosenberg, David and Carol Hughes, Des and Jen Bartlett, John Varry and Elton Mhlongo, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, Richard Goss and Kim Wolhuter, and Craig and Damon Foster.

"A wildlife adventure like no other – not solely in media studies, zoology or literature. This is a work of recovery, review, and restitution. It is a theoretical game-changer, told from the perspectives of the filmmakers themselves. Readers are taken on a rollicking safari that redefines documentary film theory. The real analysis is in the backstories, the paper trails, and in the decision-making networks." Keyan G. Tomaselli, University of Johannesburg

"This is a vividly written and innovative book on wildlife filmmakers in southern Africa. Ian Glenn explains how they emerged at the top of their field globally, were awarded Emmys and Golden Pandas, and reached a mass audience. He celebrates their contribution to a sympathetic understanding of wild animals and to environmental conservation." William Beinart, Emeritus Professor, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

Ian Glenn is Emeritus Professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town and the author of First Safari: Searching for Francois Levaillant