‘Stroop’ gets worldwide attention
STROOP – Journey into the Rhino Horn War has won the best documentary award at the San Diego International Film Festival held last weekend.
Mudbound producer Kyle Tekiela presented the award to film-makers Bonné de Bod and Susan Scott, saying: “Documentaries tell stories that bring big issues to light and the jury felt this was one of the biggest of them all, that poignantly conveys the struggle the world’s rhinos are having to remain alive for the next decade”.
The film-makers also scooped an additional two awards – from the LA-based Glendale International Film Festival, where they picked up the best female film-makers award (a huge accomplishment given that over 130 films across fiction and documentary were in competition). And – also in LA – from the city’s premiere film festival, LA Femme, which supports women producers from around the world, De Bod and Scott were awarded the special documentary of focus award.
The previous weekend the film got another nod in the form of best documentary award at the San Pedro International Film Festival, also held in LA, and last month, Stroop was handed the 2018 green tenacity award by the judges of the San Francisco Green Film Festival.
In recognition of the impact the film is having in California, the California Legislature, as well as the State Senator, have sent the film-makers certificates of recognition for outstanding achievements in the cinematic arts, thanking them for their work in revealing the rhino crisis to the world and contributing to the arts and the Californian community.
Says Stroop producer and presenter De Bod: “Winning these awards has opened up new opportunities to get the film seen around the globe.
“Film festival directors and distributors are contacting us directly because of the buzz around the documentary, and to get something this hard-hitting and shocking in front of as many audiences as possible is, of course, vital for everyone who is concerned about the ongoing slaughter of our dwindling rhino population.”
Director Scott said: “Many times during filming, we were told to put Americans in the film to give relevance for the international audience. But this has connected with Americans precisely because it’s about ordinary South Africans doing extraordinary things for our planet. I’m so glad we stuck with keeping the story about our heroes on the ground. These awards recognise their work.”
In addition to the slew of awards the film has won, Stroop has been invited to screen at no fewer than 15 official film festivals, and this number is growing daily as it receives worldwide attention. | Staff Reporter