Crocodile River: One Man's Journey, Part 3 2004
Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources, 101 Morse Street, Watertown, MA 02472; 617-926-0491
Produced by Robert Perkins
Directed by Robert Perkins
DVD, color, 56 min.
Sr. High - Adult
African Studies, Aging, Biography, Drama, Philosophy, Photography, Storytelling
Date Entered: 04/21/2006
Reviewed by Brad Eden, Ph.D., Head, Web and Digitization Services, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las VegasThis video, part 3 of a 3-part video series, continues to focus on naturalist/filmmaker/explorer Robert Perkins as he paddles his canoe into the Canadian Arctic and down the Limpopo River in southern Africa. The film also chronicles his life story, this last video spotlighting Perkins' later years as a wiser man connecting more deeply with Africa and its peoples (the two previous videos focused on himself as a young man and a middle-aged man). Emotional as well as international boundaries between Perkins and his guide, Bonus Lunga, an African who has never left his small village before this trip, are part of the broader photographic and picturesque backdrop that follows the storyline. Perkins finds himself challenging his assumptions and stereotypes about Africans as the film progresses. A fascinating and visually-spectacular look at Africa, and one man's journey of exploration and discovery throughout his life. This film won Best of Festival at the Waterwalker Film Festival, Toronto, 2004.