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Project Tanzania

From Emmy Award-winning producer/director Sylvia Caminer comes INDIGENIUS: PROJECT TANZANIA. This feature documentary, shot in the style of a rousing epic adventure story, will be an intense exploration of the hidden treasure that is Tanzania and its people. With unlimited, unparalleled access to the indigenous people, our traveling journalist, Kristen Kenney, with her tribal guide, Venance Ndibalema at her side, will take the viewer into the hidden corners and remote tribal world of Tanzania rarely seen by
Dolger Films
Starring: PBS Reporter Kristen Kenney & University of Miami alum and Tanzania citizen Venance Ndibalema
Written By: 3 Time Emmy Award Winning Writer Sharon Dymmel
Directed By: Emmy Award Winning Producer/Director Sylvia Caminer
Plot Outline: IndiGenius: Project Tanzania
“A Celebration of the Tanzanian People and their Culture”
 

Too often, documentaries about Africa highlight tragedy and the severe hardships of life across the continent … with Project Tanzania we plan to bring the viewer into direct and meaningful contact with the region and its people by allowing them to express their joy, passion and way of life …

From Emmy Award-winning producer/director Sylvia Caminer comes INDIGENIUS: PROJECT TANZANIA. This feature documentary, shot in the style of a rousing epic adventure story, will be an intense exploration of the hidden treasure that is Tanzania and its people. With unlimited, unparalleled access to the indigenous people, our traveling journalist, Kristen Kenney, with her tribal guide, Venance Ndibalema at her side, will take the viewer into the hidden corners and remote tribal world of Tanzania rarely seen by non-natives.
 
movie poster

Kristen and Venance will document their Genius, and partake in their way of life, at the same time shedding light on the struggles these tribes face in preserving their unique cultures with the Western world slowly bleeding into their environment. How do the indigenous peoples view the modern world? And how can they survive the transformation process and stay true to their heritage? Along our journey, we will attempt to answer these questions. Kristen, a fairly sheltered, mid-twenties, upper middle-class American, will continually be tested as she is daily taken, further and further, outside of her comfort zone … what genius will she discover in the local life, beliefs and culture?

Add to this, the backstory of Venance, who left his tribe at the age of 18, in pursuit of an education and new life in the Western world. Now nearly 10 years later, Venance is returning home for the first time. Will his tribe welcome him back? How will his views have been altered by life abroad? What will he now see as the genius of his people? This emotional voyage home will be captured by the camera’s unflinching eye.

With heart stopping scenery and breathtaking photography all weaved together in a rich film texture, we will constantly entertain and dazzle our audience. From landing in the bustling metropolis of Dar es Salaam, and exploring the rich texture and musical tradition in intoxicating Zanzibar … From scaling to the top of Kilimanjaro, the third highest mountain peak in the world, to bearing witness to the truly wondrous great animal migration in the Serengeti – a truly ground shaking experience. Far, far from the beaten path, Kristen and Venance mix it up with the local tribes, continually searching for the native “genius,” from the witchcraft of the Warangi, a fair skinned tribe referred to by the locals “as people of color,” to the nomadic northern Abzabe tribe and finally to the unique hidden world of the Haya, a tribe who lives off banana trees, coexisting with the land that surrounds them. To what extent will Kristen and Venance emerge from this journey as newly realized individuals?

IndiGenius Films’ overall plan is to make a slate of films for either the big or little screen that document and bring to light the Genius of the indigenous people found on all corners of Planet Earth. By focusing on the dynamics of their diverse cultures and the ecosystems in which they coexist as well as the art, dance, food, religious rituals and daily way of life, we intend to show their strength, insight, passion and power. Those who were once marginalized and often displaced will be viewed with greater understanding, acceptance and, more than that, appreciation for their way of life and the unique knowledge they have to offer.