Best Documentary
The Mist of Mwanenguba: the Lost Worlds of Cameroon
The African continent still contains numerous unexplored regions. Recently, one of these lost worlds was discovered in Cameroon, by a British researcher from the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. At the foot of a volcano, Martin Cheek discovered a dense tropical forest, miraculously preserved and full of endemic plant species. In only a few expeditions, his team managed to inventory over two hundred previously unknown plant species, including orchids, types of coffee plants, and fig-trees.
Their discoveries attracted the attention of other NGO’s, including CRES, an organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered animal species. Upon exploring this region, CRES members discovered that it constituted one of the rare sanctuaries where large, silver-faced monkeys called Drills, the cousins of the Mandrill, still live. In 1996, the Drill was designated by the IUCN as the African species most in need of protection.
Following the steps of the botanist, Martin Cheek, and the primatologist, Bethan Morgan, we explore the enchanting region that surrounds Mount Manengouba – a volcano that has stood dormant for millenia. There, we discover its incredible floral and faunal richness as well as landscapes straight out of an Arthur Conan Doyle novel. We also encounter the Bakossis, a native tribe which believes that each tree of the forest houses the spirit of one of its ancestors, and which fights tirelessly to preserve its region from the increasingly numerous attacks of deforestation.
Directors: Guillaume de Ginestel & Jean-Thomas Renaud
Published Oct 26, 2023
