Filming interests in Brazzaville, the capital of Republic of Congo
Brazzaville is the official capital city of the Republic of Congo and offers excellent filming opportunities that range from culture to historical landmarks. Until 1960, the country was a part of the French Equatorial Africa state. The Republic of Congo is located in the far western part of Sub-Saharan Africa, along the Equator, with a short (170 km) coastline on the South Atlantic Ocean. Angola (the Cabinda region), Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), and Gabon border the Congo. The population of Congo-Brazzaville is estimated to be over 4 million people. Brazzaville, the country’s capital and largest city, is located on the Congo River in the south of the country, across Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital.
Today we are looking at filming in Brazzaville of the republic of Congo and getting to know the best filming spots and what exactly to film in the city. The city is located on the banks of the famous Congo River, which is the world’s second largest river after the Amazon River in Brazil. Brazzaville is a transit city because of its outstanding and natural geographical location, which places it at the center of the community within the central African region. The city can be reached by the ocean railways, to the Kinshasa city in the Democratic republic of Congo, and you can as well take the river to Bangui in the Central African Republic of Bangui, or even by road, you can head to Cameroon.
Filming in Brazzaville and it provides the most exceptional scenery, so I call on each and every one of you to come and enjoy filming in Brazzaville. There are a lot of things that you can film in Brazzaville, and these, among others, include;
Filming the cultural traditions
Filming the cultural traditions in Brazzaville is one of the best things that you can film in Brazzaville. Brazzaville is a creative hub and a genuine city with a plethora of social resources, particularly a history of variety, music, and artistic expression. Music is completely integrated into Brazzaville’s urban environment, with venues for music sharing on nearly every route. The places are very interesting and it is a major historical and cultural city to the extent that the historical traditions can be linked to the wildlife. It is a major cultural crossroads where both artistic and intellectual activity flourish. Congolese rumba, a musical rhythm and theme pioneered by Paul Kamba of the Bantous de la Capital Orchestra, was born in Brazzaville.
Film historical sites in Brazzaville
There are other several historical sites which you can film in Brazzaville, among the most important ones including St. Anne’s Basilica, The Sacred Heart Cathedral, The Nabemba Tower (or Elf Tower), The city’s tallest structure (106 meters, north of 30 stories) is named after Mount Nabemba, the Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Memorial, and the marble Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Memorial contains the remaining parts of the city’s organizer, Italo-French pioneer, among others. The City, likewise, offers you a chance to film the popular Congo River.
The Congo River will also be included in your Brazzaville filming mix since the city is found at the bank of the famous river, and thus you should be able to have the memorable quality file videos that are so much fun. So pack your things and come to Africa Adventure Vacations where we will organize for you the best filming adventure to Brazzaville.
How much to pay for filming in Brazzaville?
All visitors or travelers interested in filming in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, must obtain valid filming permits. If you’re filming for personal use, you will just need to pay the park entrance fees and then the fees and do the activity, while if you’re filming for commercial purposes or a documentary, it will be the Brazzaville authorities that offer you the filming permit, depending on which destination you’re going to do the filming from. But generally, you will need to pay the park entrance fees and then a percentage levied for filming. As it will be well explained to you by the authorities, we shall make sure that we help you to secure the Brazzaville filming permit
What do you need to film in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo?
The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.
For any related filming activity to be done in the Republic of Congo, especially filming in Brazzaville, Congo, all the filming crew members have and possess the filming permits, which are provided with permission by the authorities in the Republic of Congo in order for you to continue with your Brazzaville filming safari. Other than the filming permits, you will also need to have your filming equipment cleared at any point of entry in the Republic of Congo, whether through the international airport or by using the land borders. The filming equipment is supposed to be cleared by the customs department, which is always stationed at the point of entry.
Therefore, as Africa Adventure Vacations, this is where we can help you a lot. By merely informing us of your intentions to film in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, we are very experienced in organizing for you the whole adventure activity, including processing for you the filming permits required, organizing for you the accommodation facilities, transportation, help in obtaining for you the local authorities’ permits, as well as aiding you in clearing your filming equipment with the customs department of the Republic of Congo at your point of entry.
With the Republic of Congo filming procedures, there is no formal process for the filming permits allocation, and thus this is handled by negotiations between the parties, and at Africa Adventure Vacations, we are experienced in doing this. Also, the Republic of Congo government doesn’t authorize filming in the areas of interest, especially filming the military installation projects, filming of government buildings, as well as filming along the border areas, and this is illegal, and you may be penalized in the courts of law or even have your equipment confiscated. If you want to do filming that will require you to shoot using drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or in national parks, then you will also need to get permission from the local authorities. To avoid inconveniences, you will need to contact Africa Adventure Vacations so that we can advise you accordingly when to do filming in Brazzaville, in the Brazzaville Republic of Congo.
Visas and work permits are required as part of the second requirement.
As you are aware, it is illegal to enter another country without a visa. It is important that all the film crew members obtain the visa to be allowed into the Republic of Congo. For the neighboring Congo countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, you can get the visa immediately on arrival. For the Congo Visa, it’s a different story. Rather, you must apply for the visa in advance through your nearby Congo Embassy. The single entry visa in Congo costs $100 and is valid for one month. The one valid for two months costs $135, while for the one valid for six months, you will need to pay $400. The important thing to note is that the DR. Congo Visa will need to be applied for in advance, about 3 weeks or a month before your planned dates of travel to Congo for the filming, since this visa cannot be issued on arrival as it is in its neighboring countries. The film crew members will not be allowed to enter the Republic of Congo to film in Brazzaville without a visa. Another document here is the yellow fever vaccination card, and thus, please contact us at Africa Adventure Vacations for the best filming opportunities in the Congo.
You must hire vehicles in order to film in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Yes, at Africa Adventure Vacations, we make sure that we make transport arrangements for you such that when you are in the Republic of Congo for filming, you don’t get stranded. We have got our own fleet of cars, and we book and arrange the vehicle services for the film crew members depending on their interests, budgets, and the terrain of the area that is going to be filmed. For the film crew members going to film in the rough terrain, we advise them to use a 4×4-wheel-drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain. We shall be able to tell you how much it cost in terms of the furl and the mileage covered in order to determine how much you will spend on the vehicle per day. Africa Adventure Vacations also organizes both chartered and scheduled flights within the Republic of Congo, especially for visitors who are interested in flying and do not have the time to drive long distances on the road.
Our hired vehicles will be manned by a well-experienced driver guide who has been to Republic of Congo and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the city of Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. The driver fixer will be able to share with you the basic information about the Republic of Congo and will give you all the solutions required when it comes to film fixing, so you are lucky to book your Brazzaville filming safaris with Africa Adventure Vacations.
Is it safe to film in Brazzaville?
It is very safe to film in Brazzaville. Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities that have threatened investors as well as the tourism industry in the country. Such instabilities and disasters have come because of Ebola and other rebellion conflicts that have halted the filming process in the Republic of Congo. However, as of recently, the Congo has returned to peace, especially in the capital Brazzaville, with only a few cases of insecurity, and the filming industry in the Republic of the Congo is safe and thriving, so we can assure you that filming culture in the Republic of the Congo is safe. At Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threats from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel a threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before filming in Brazzaville starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information.
Where to stay in Brazzaville during filming?
The film crew members doing filming in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, will have to choose some of the lodging options from luxury, budget, and midrange lodges and hotels. Some of the lodges where you can stay include the Mikhaels Hotel, Hotel Brazza and Leon Hotel Brazzaville. Contact us for more details.
When is the best time to do filming in Brazzaville, Congo?
Filming is done in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, and it is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film in Brazzaville is during the dry season, which lasts from June to October and then from December to February. The Republic of Congo is covered with tropical rain forest and this has influenced the country to experience the tropical rain climate, meaning that at times you can also experience certain rains unexpectedly. Therefore, you need to prepare accordingly for the changing weather conditions.
Why should you book your Brazzaville filming safaris with Africa Adventure Vacations?
Africa Adventure Vacations is a local company based in Uganda but operates in East African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa, and we have over 10 years’ experience in aiding filming and production companies, especially those interested in filming nature-related wildlife and the culture of Africa. We provide services such as booking for the filming permits, clearing of the filming equipment, booking for the accommodation facilities, organizing transportation to the filming companies, all in the shortest period of time. We organize other wildlife packages to all of the above-mentioned countries, including gorilla packages to Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, you should not hesitate to choose us to be your film fixers in East Africa.
