Jan Svatoš

Enchanted landscape of Northern Kenya (photo R. Strakova)

The film Africa obscura made by director Jan Svatoš in Northern Kenya won Best Screenplay at the Ekofilm International Film Festival, as well as the runner-up prize in the TV documentaries category at the Tourfilm Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Last weekend, it was also awarded on International Festival of Outdoor Films, so that the debut of Jan Svatoš successfully finished the festival “hattrick” as it has gained totally 3 Awards. This means lot also for a Kenya.

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The Gala at Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary (photo courtesy of IFF Tourfilm archive)

International Film Jury of the EKOFILM festival awarded the director Jan Svatoš for the Best screenplay of the documentary Africa obscura. It was not the only succes of the documentary this weekend – on Friday October 8th , Africa obscura won also 2nd prize in the category of TV documentaries on the oldest international festival of travelogue films TOURFILM Karlovy vary.

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Though arid and harsh, Northern Kenya is full of secret wildlife... (photo Jan Svatoš)

One of the first review of famous czech film critic Jan Foll published for Bohemia Newspapers (Vltava Labe Press):

„…one of the most interesting sequence of the documentary shows how the Borana people are gaining the water from the the very deep holes, so called Singing wells, for the stock and their family members. This brings us, people far away from hardship and scarcity, to landscape where shadow and water is not a matter of fact but worth a gold… [...]

Sunset at Marsabit. Will its star rise again? (c) Jan Svatoš

Protection of nature is not only about wildlife, but more often about finding compromises between the needs of men and nature. More about this phenomenon speaks lt. JACK MARUBU (Kenya Wildlife Service), community warden working for Marsabit NP – a park once considered by filmmakers Martin and Osa Johnson as a last Paradise in Africa in 1920´s.

by JAN SVATOŠ [...]

The silent witness from distant times (c) Jan Svatoš and Safari Museum

Finding the exact place where the famous darkroom of Martin Johnson used to stay  in 1920´s , is doubtlessly the biggest success on the field of retracing Johnsons legacy Jan Svatoš and his expedition made in Marsabit forest. The discover of a tree which witnessed the run of almost 90 years with almost no change in its shape surprised many people around the world. We are bringing some of the responses, for example from Kenya Wildlife Service officer Jack Marubu or  Safari museum curator Jacquelyn Borgeson…

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Photos and pictures are shown in ZOO gallery (c) Jan Svatoš

The „AFRICA OBSCURA“ is the name both of the documentary movie and the exhibition of photographies made by journalsit and photographer Jan Svatoš in Northern Kenya. The collection of black&white pictures and drawings are now shown in ZOO Dvur Kralove (Czech republic) until 26th January. As soon as the exhibition finishes, it  will travel around Czech republic and will also visit other countries and continents as well, e.g.  the United States and Africa. The exhibition will , for example, accompanying the 50th anniversary of founding the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, Kansas (USA) this June.

For more information about the ZOO in Dvur Kralove, worldfamous with the white rhinos reintroduction project, click here

Fatu in the foreground with her caregiver Jimmy. Suni is in the background. The two rhinos are getting along better than whoever imagined. Read on to find out more! © Jan Svatoš

One of the adjacent missions of the Photographic Backtracing expedition in the Northern Kenya was delivering 5 drawings which drew children in Czech republic  for czech northern white rhinos. These highly endangered animals were reintroduced into Ol Pejeta Conservancy in December 2009 from the ZOO Dvur Kralove in Czech republic. Due to partnership between the expedition and the zoo director Dr. Dana Holeckova, the team agreed in July 2010 to bring the pictures long distance from Europe to Ol Pejeta.

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The expedition presented the pictures during the ceremonial gala in Vimperk, Šumava NP (c) Romi Strakova

Neuschoenau, Vimperk (Germany, Czech republic) – The 9.th year of the  wildlife and nature documentary festival NaturVision was ended on 8th October in Czech republic. This year has brought not only a heap of unbelievable wildlife documentaries but also a few partnerships between the Czech and German part. The festival whose main competition culminates every year  in  Germany in July, is regularly finished in festival high-lights recapitulation in the town of Vimperk (Šumava NP, Czech republic). During the ceromonial gala were also shown some of the pictures shot during the expedition in northern Kenya and two expeditions members took part in the feast. [...]

The Lesser Hall of the Municipal Library of Prague, the premiere Gala (c) Zuzana Sekorova

Prague, Czech republic -  On 7th October at 7.30 p.m., the expedition team presented their pictures during the gala diashow in the center of the Czech capital Prague. The programme started with the interview with each team member and then, expedition consultants took part. Among guests who were spoken on the stage were the veterinary doctor doc. MVDr. David Modry from Turkana lake project,  PhDr. Jana Hadkova, the chief dramaturgist at Czech TV documentary section and doc. Mgr. Jiri Myslik , the head of camera department at FAMU University. Among the guest were also two of czech emerite ambassadors in Africa. After interviewing the team members – Daniel, David and Romi – the chief Jan presented some of his and his team´s amazing photographies made in Northern Kenya. The capacity of the Lesser Hall of Prague Municipal Library was almost fully occupied. [...]