Light from dying stars

The San tribe is one of the oldest cultures in Africa, possibly the world. And yet, having been decimated by colonialism, the San are now forced to engage with tribal tourism to make ends meet and pay for modern conveniences. 

Titled, Ghost Light, the moving and thoughtful film elucidates contemporary tribal living and reveals the contrast between reality and expectation, tradition and modernity. It questions whether tribal tourism can ever really be a window into the truth. When you book a hunting experience with indigenous peoples will you be experiencing an authentic representation of how the tribe lives now? Or a pastiche of how things used to be?

Tom Baker, co-director and co-founder of Wild Film, said: "The San’s story is a comment on what's happening to lots of tribes globally, their traditions are being stripped away. We wanted to shine a light on the subject and give these people a voice to tell their story.’

Co-director Toufic Beyhum, adds: "Having lived in Namibia for seven years, I found the life of the San tribe a fascinating subject. Then, when we went to meet them, I noticed that they still don't live the way they're meant to be living. Everything that they do is purely for an exchange – the trade-off of culture for money. So that triggered the idea. Then we let the San guide us for the rest."