Killing the Shepherd | Thousand Words with Tom Opre

I had a great visit with filmmaker, conservationist and friend, Tom Opre about his upcoming film, Killing the Shepherd. Tom is the founder of The Shepherds of Wildlife Society, which according to it's website, is a collective of world-renowned wildlife filmmakers, photographers, sportsmen and women, and conservationists who possess the talent, knowledge and experience to uniquely communicate the impact humanity has on animals and wildlife habitats. They are storytellers on a mission to educate others about the pressing need for modern wildlife conservation measures. Western society's disconnect with nature has resulted in a limited understanding of how human encroachment is destroying wild places and the creatures who live in them.

The film is a great story of wildlife and it's relationship to the restoration of humanity in Zambia. Here's the synopsis from the web release:

A remote community in Africa, led by a woman chief, attempts to break the stranglehold of absolute poverty by waging a war on wildlife poaching. For decades illegal wildlife poaching by both subsistence and bush meat gangs has led to the government declaring this community’s homeland “depleted” of wildlife.

The chief finds help in the form of a safari operator and they work together to bring stability to the community. But all was not well. Disease, food stability, and rampant alcoholism hamper basic needs like health care and education. Even young girls, just after reaching puberty, are sold by their parents as child brides in order to feed their family for one year. Dark forces including South African land speculators, criminal poaching gangs, and her own people conspire against the chief. Even elements from the modern world work against the chief’s wishes.

     Will the chief and her community see success?

Here's the trailer: https://vimeo.com/473140879

 

Be sure to follow the work of Shepherds of Wildlife Society:

https://www.shepherdsofwildlife.org

https://www.facebook.com/shepherdsofwildlifesociety/

https://twitter.com/wildshepherds

https://www.instagram.com/shepherdsofwildlife/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozI2LsGaWs

As well as Tom's work:

https://www.instagram.com/tomopreofficial