Filming the Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Filming the Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo- The Batwa pygmies are an indigenous people who lived as hunters or gatherers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s forest. These people are staying around the surrounding areas and in the Lake Tumba region in the North West DR. Congo, with some of them staying close to the Rwanda and Uganda borders.
Batwa people are involved in a lot of the cultural groups. However, most of the Batwa that are found within the Democratic Republic of Congo are called or call themselves Bambuti. These people depend on the food gatherers and hunting. However, some of them are currently in relationships with the agriculturalists in Democratic Congo, and some of them are involved in agricultural activities.
The Batwa people in the Democratic Republic of Congo call them the Bambuti, which represents an indigenous food gathering community with a traditional way of living. Most of these people used the forest as the source of their livelihoods where they could hunt, harvest skins of animals and other forest products that they use for food and other people. These people provide the wonderful views, especially when filming them.
What will appear in your Batwa filming mix?
The Batwa pygmies are short and they can be filmed well in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These people are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo because the country is full of forests. Therefore, the Batwa pygmies can be filmed in the forest of Congo since, originally and even up to now, they have used the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo for their survival for over four decades.
Where to film the Batwa pygmies in DR. Congo?
Filming the Batwa pygmies in the Ituri forest, DR. Congo: The Ituri forest is one of the wonderful places in the Democratic Republic of Congo where you can film the Batwa pygmies. It features the largest populations of the Batwa, and the forest spans over 243,000 square miles. The Bantu-speaking people and the pygmies occupy the forests. There are four populations of pygmies that are called the Bambuti that stay within the Ituri forest.
Filming the Batwa pygmies in the Congo basin: The Congo basin is a wonderful place and a hot spot for filming the Batwa in the world. It is the home of the Batwa pygmies and it is also a nice place for filming wildlife species, including primates, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congo River is also the deepest recorded river in the whole of Africa. The river features several places of interest in the film, including the African forest elephants, pygmies, lowland gorillas, and the Ituri forest.
What is the cost of filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
All the visitors going on the filming adventure in the Democratic 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 documentary, it will be the Institut Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature that will issue 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 by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. We engage with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to ensure that we get for you the right and affordable Congo filming permit.
What do you need to make Batwa pygmies filming possible in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.
For any related filming activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, all the filming crew members have and possess the filming permits and these are provided with permission by the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order for you to continue with your filing Batwa in Congo. Other than the filming permits, you will also need to have your filming equipment cleared at any point of entry in the Democratic 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 do help you a lot, by mere informing us of your intentions to do filming the Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are very experienced in organizing for you the whole adventure activity including processing for you then filming permits requires, organizing for you the accommodation facilities, transportation, help in obtain for you the local authorities permits as well aiding you in clearance of your filming equipment with the customs department of Democratic Republic of Congo at your Point of entry.
With the Democratic 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 DR. 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 by the use of drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or those in the 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.
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 a visa to be allowed into Dr. Congo. For the neighboring Congo countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, you can get the visa immediately on arrival. For the DR Congo Visa, it’s a different story. Rather, you must apply for the visa in advance through your nearby DR 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 her neighboring countries. The film crew members will not be allowed to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo to do filming activities 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 DR. Congo.
Requirement 3: You need to hire a vehicle in the Democratic 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 Democratic Republic of Congo for filing, 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, budget 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 44 wheel drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain, especially in the national parks. 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 Democratic 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 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The driver fixer will be able to share with you the basic information about the Democratic Republic of Congo and will give you all the solutions required when it comes to film fixing, so you are lucky to book your Batwa filming safari with Africa Adventure Vacations.
Is Batwa filming safe?
Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities which 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 which have halted the filming process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, as of recent, the Congo is now on track as there are limited cases of instabilities and now the filming industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo is safe and booming, so we can assure you that it is safe to do Batwa filming. As Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threat from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel the threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before Batwa filming starts.
Where to stay while filming culture in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
The film crew members on the adventure or duty of filming the Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be reached from Ilebo town, which is one of the towns found in the Kasai District in the Kasai-Occidental province of DR. Congo. The Batwa film crew members can also stay at the Hotel Med, the Douze Maisons Motel, the Guesthouse Woodland La Vernaise and the Hotel Amike, among other lodges in the area.
What should you pack for filming the Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
In order to have a successful film with Batwa pygmies in Congo, there are some of the items that you should not miss from your packing list, especially the right dressing code depending on the conditions available. Therefore, our visitors or the film crew members should put on or come with the following during filming:
- You need to wear long-sleeved shirts or long trousers while filming. It is good when they are waterproof, as these will protect you from being harmed by sharp tree branches and stones as well as thorns while in the Congo wildness filming.
- You need to wear water-proof shoes during filming. This will help you to navigate through the slippery trails that you will be following while filming in Congo as these will give you stability on the ground.
- Don’t miss out on putting on the gardening gloves when filming, which will be so influential in protecting your hands, and you can put them off when you feel you no longer need them.
- You also need to come with a rain jacket because, in most cases, filming is done in the tropical rain forests that are always wet, and this is why putting on a rain jacket is of great help to you.
- Since filming is always done in the wild, it is good that you have insect repellent with you to safe guard against various insects such as mosquitoes and any other biting insects.
Other clothes that you should not leave out are the water-proof safari back and jacket, as this will help protect your filming equipment from getting in touch with water. You can also put on the African safari hat, safari socks, and shorts that you can sometimes put on, among others.
What is the best time to film the Batwa Pygmies in DR. Congo?
We can say that filming Batwa pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to see Batwa pygmies is during the dry season, which runs from June to October and then from December to February. The Democratic 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 choose Africa Adventure Vacations for your filming safaris?
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.