 Across Africa few animals are as enchanting, and as captivating, as the cheetah. Its legend has been woven into our artworks and stories for thousands of years from the ancient Egyptians to young children today fascinated by the idea of the fastest land animal on Earth. Yet now the wild cheetah population is on the brink. In the last century, their population has collapsed by over 90%, and the Masai Mara in Kenya is one of the cheetahs’ last remaining strongholds. Even here they are in decline. By speaking to researchers and conservationists this film seeks to highlight their plight - from natural vulnerabilities, to the introduced threat of mass tourism and human-wildlife conflict - while at the same time showing that when people come together with the common goal of conservation there is hope for these magnificent predators.  Director Daniel Clarkson grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and, from a young age, spent every free moment when not in school or university travelling with family and friends into South Africa's wild reserves to camp out under the stars listening to the sounds of jackals crying and lions roaring.Despite a university degree in Finance and Accounting, the wild has always called and, together with his wildlife photographer wife, Laura, he has continued to spend every free moment in the bush. It was actually Laura who for Christmas in 2020 gave him a microphone ahead of a planned trip to Kenya, and the rest, as they say, is history with Daniel switching from financial services to full time filming in 2023. His personal interest is in telling stories about relationships at the edge existence, where communities and wildlife meet. www.thelastcheetahs.com
Director Statement To me, the natural world is the most complex, compelling and unpredictable saga, full of wonder, charm and infinite surprise. Film shifts our perceptions and draws us on a journey into the natural world. We become the subject. We see through their eyes and feel what they feel - their hopes, fears, courage and will to succeed. It is a journey of powerful emotions and changing perspectives placing us, as the viewers, in the story and, hopefully, leaving us with lasting impressions. In this film I really wanted it to have the feel of a love letter to cheetahs. To make the viewer fall in love with these incredible and often overlooked animals and to highlight the issues facing them by weaving research and narrative together to bring these issues to light. The film focuses on conservation efforts in Kenya's Masai Mara and challenges the conventional view on what it means to 'conserve' and 'protect'. |
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