Filming on location in The Great Rift Valley with The Video Lounge Film Fixers
The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately 7,000 kilometres in total length. The Great Rift Valley runs from Lebanon in the Middle East to as far south as Mozambique in Africa. The valleys cut through Lebanon, Israel, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Mozambique. The area is geologically active, and features volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and frequent earthquakes. The Rift Valley was formed by violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth’s crust. These forces cause huge chunks of the crust to sink between parallel fault lines and force up molten rock in volcanic eruptions.
The Great Rift Valley’s inhabitants include lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and primates. The lakes of the Great Rift Valley are home to 2 species of flamingo: the smaller ‘lesser’ flamingo and the large ‘greater’ flamingo. The birds prefer shallow water; after it rains they will often move to the next lake. Another fun fact: often seen balancing on one leg, the flamingo is born white/grey and not pink.
The Rift Valley in East Africa has been a rich source of hominid fossils that allow the study of human evolution. The rapidly eroding highlands quickly filled the valley with sediments, creating a favourable environment for the preservation of remains.
The northward stretch of the river, known as the Victoria Nile, enters the shallow Lake Kyoga (Kioga) and, passing through its swamp vegetation, flows out in a westerly direction, descending into the East African Rift System over Murchison (Kabalega) Falls before entering the northern end of Lake Albert .Mau Forest is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa.
Kenya’s Great Rift Valley offers some of the most breath-taking natural scenery in a diverse mix of dramatic escarpments, mountain highlands, indigenous forest, gorges, beautiful lakes and savannahs. These valleys, cliffs and lakes have played a key role in bringing together different species in a variety of environments. High concentrations of salt give Lake Magadi, in Kenya’s Rift Valley, its sometimes vividly pink colour. A trip to Lake Magadi is like travelling to another world, the heat and seclusion only adds to the surreal feel of this place, and it is one of the most visually striking Rift Valley lakes. This is a harsh but beautiful habitat teeming with flamingos. Thousands of them flock to the lake each year to build their nests on high mud mounds along the water’s edge, protected from predators.
The Great Rift Valley is truly a film destination on very filmmakers bucket list and Hoodlum Film Fixers Kenya is on standby to partner with them on this film production adventure.