CROCODOPOLIS
Cairo, Egypt | Film Feature
Documentary, Nature
Environmental researcher Mohamed Ezat returns to Lake Nasser with one mission: saving the crocodiles from disappearing. Will the experiment of a single young researcher and his crew succeed in stopping the hunters and fishermen on the lake and save the oldest surviving creatures from extinction?
CROCODOPOLIS
Cairo, Egypt | Film Feature
Documentary, Nature
1 Campaigns | Berlin, Germany
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,015 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
131 supporters | followers
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Environmental researcher Mohamed Ezat returns to Lake Nasser with one mission: saving the crocodiles from disappearing. Will the experiment of a single young researcher and his crew succeed in stopping the hunters and fishermen on the lake and save the oldest surviving creatures from extinction?
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When Egyptian environmental researcher Mohamed Ezat returns to Lake Nasser, he makes a shocking discovery: the identity of the lake as he had known it all his life has dramatically changed. Fishermen have taken control of the lake’s activities, surpassing their fishing habits to target the largest organism on the top of the lake’s food chain. Crocodile numbers have since decreased in an unimaginable way. Once worshiped as god-like creatures in the ancient kingdom, surviving in the waters for thousands of years, their existence today is risking extinction. This realization leads Ezat to take action. Together with a group of dedicated lone stars, he launches the first and only crocodile conservation unit in Egypt.
The film tells the story of two friends starting from the moment they return to the lake and ending with the crocodile egg hatching season, the peak season for hunters and crocodile smugglers. At night we follow the crew on a suspenseful investigation across the lake uncovering shadow networks of illegal wild life trafficking. During the day their mission becomes a dreamy journey across the vast lake, taking us deeper into the world of the young scientists, whose isolation and deep immersion into the magical worlds of the mythical creatures begin to blurr the parameters of reality. But with dwindling crocodile sightings and harsh setbacks, tough decisions lie ahead. Is it time to give up or continue the mission?
Environment and wildlife stories have for too long been exclusively in the domain of white Western filmmakers, giving African documentary filmmakers the impression that this is not for us. This feels strange since wildlife, nature and the relations to animals are a central element of our mythologies and oral histories. Crocodopolis seeks to shift these dynamics, both in front of and behind the camera. We are a team of Egyptian filmmakers with a substantial part, including the scientists, being from the Southern part of Aswan where the film takes place. We have incredible access to the story and have, throughout, been working with the communities surrounding the lake, weaving their stories and relationships with the crocodiles into the story and creating the necessary awareness and impact.
. Director’s Statement .
I have been a documentary filmmaker for many years with a strong passion for wildlife and environmental issues. I was fascinated by crocodiles since my days in South Africa and I knew that they inhabited the Southern part in Egypt in Aswan. It was at the end of 2018 that I met Mohamed Ezat, one of the founders of the Egyptian Crocodile Management Unit who invited me to accompany him on one of his research trips. I was drawn into his research only to understand the urgency and devastating situation the more I spent time with Ezat. To date, Ezat and his team are the only researchers in the field of crocodile protection in Egypt and all their efforts are self-organized. It was clear that we had to make a film. Throughout the three years we have been working on the film and visiting Lake Nasser multiple times, we have completely immersed into the lake, its ecosystem and the communities, with some former poachers beginning to join Ezat’s protection mission. It has been an incredible and yet devastating journey that demands higher attention. We can’t wait to share the film with you.
In times of catastrophic declines in biodiversity across the world, we are facing an increasing threat to life on Earth. The research on reptiles at risk is still highly under researched, while recent data shows that the risk of extinction for crocodilians grows, with around 58% to be under threat, due to overexploitation and persecution. Major threats crocodilians in the wild face is the loss, destruction or degradation of habitat. In the past, the unregulated hunting of crocs for their valuable skins was the prime concern for their survival. Despite all of this, there is far too little action being taken to prevent the extinction of the crocodiles in Egypt. The film follows two researchers as they uncover hunting infrastructures, taking the case of crocodile poaching at Lake Nasser as a case in point for a global phenomenon. Raising awareness for the local communities around Lake Nasser as well as national and global political change makers, the film is paired with an impact campaign with local and international environment conservation NGOs. We have no time to lose!
In the spirit of DIT - Let's Do it Together!
The film seeks to raise recognition for the dramatic situation on local, national and international level encouraging people to take action. We need to spread information about the importance of crocodile protection among the residing communities as well as creating political pressure to alter policies for crocodile protection on a state level. Secondly, the film seeks to create support to build a new economic model that does not center on the exploitation of the lake’s ancient organisms but transforms the lake economy towards a sustainable future through ecotourism.
Once finished, the film will go to national and international film festivals speaking to local as well as global audience. It is clear for us that the film needs to be accompanied by a targeted impact campaign. Hence, we have three impact producers with environmental background on our team. We want to organize a series of screenings and workshop with the communities around the lake, creating conversation around the topic together with the film crew. To assemble all information we gathered, we want to create a website that is linked to a YouTube channel. We hope to bring back Conservation Studies to the University of Aswan. And above all, we want to support the attempts by engaged community members to build up ecotourism infrastructures which is already happening.
We have come a long way, but we still have some miles to swim.
We are currently in production and have finished around 75% of the shooting. We need to raise funds to shoot the final scene of the film and go into editing. Simultaneously, we are working on an impact campaign to ensure that the film will reach the right audience and create awareness where it’s needed - with policy makers, conservation activists, local and global communities.
The funds raised will help us with technical challenges and equipment, underwater filming and travelling to remote locations where illegal wild life trafficking exists.
But most importantly, each cent of your contribution will help us to raise awareness for a topic we can no longer afford to ignore. So support our cause, because each contribution makes a huge difference!
The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. If you’d like to be a part of supporting Crocodopolis and help to stop crocodile extermination on Lake Nasser, YOU can make the difference in our success!
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want. We can't do this without you!
Here are some examples. Feel free to copy and paste!
Help the Nile Crocodiles and the campaign against their extinction by supporting Omar Manjouneh's heartfelt documentary film Crocodopolis about the disappearance of Nile Crocodiles in Egypt's Lake Nasser.
JOIN THEM ON
@https://seedandspark.com/fund/crocodopolis-2#story
Instagram: @seera_films_gmbh
https://www.facebook.com/CrocodopolisFilm
. \\ // * WE GIVE THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT * \\ // .
The film team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Nauticam FX3 Housing for Sony FX3 Full-frame Cinema Line Camera
Costs $4,080
Equipment for underwater diving scene with crocodiles. This will be the final scene of the film.
N120 180mm Optical-Glass Wide-Angle Dome Port
Costs $1,415
Optic for Underwater shooting for diving scene with the Crocodiles
230mm Optical-Glass Fisheye Dome Port II
Costs $2,301
Underwater Optic for diving scene with the crocodiles.
Kraken Hydra 15000 Wide\Red\Green\Blue\UV
Costs $1,099
Underwater lights for diving scene with the crocodiles
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director’s Profile : Omar Manjouneh graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 2015. He decided to follow his passion to become a wildlife filmmaker by traveling to South Africa gaining experience as an intern and volunteer before becoming an established wildlife and underwater cameraman executing assignments for several Governmental Entities, NGOs, research centers and national parks in South Africa Malawi, Mozambique and Egypt. In 2020 he finished a 1 year post graduate diploma in VFX. Currently working commercially as VFX Onset data wrangler/ VFX Producer responsible for the execution of visual effects and CGI scenes in several films, TV series and commercial. As a filmmaker he directed three short films which were screened in national and international film festivals,”Crocodopolis” is his first feature documentary. His short film inside the game was the official selection at the Dublin International short films and music festival.
Producer's profile: Kesmat El Sayed is a producer, and co-founder of SEERA FILMS an independent production company based in Egypt. After launching her first international production “Althawra...khabar” (Reporting a revolution) which premiered at the Berlinale 2012, she founded a production company to produce creative feature documentaries and narrative films that have social relevance and transcends country borders. See Media Production has produced 3 short documentaries and 2 feature length under the Seera Films brand that have screened in festivals like Hotdocs and in cinema in Egypt and were launched online.
Producer's profile: Laura Kloeckner joined SEERA FILMS as a producer in 2022. She lead the DOX BOX Mouatheqat/Women in Dox program before, where she produced her first two documentary films between 2020 and 2022. She previously worked for the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig) and the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). She is a researcher and curator at the Berlin based art space SAVVY Contemporary.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When Egyptian environmental researcher Mohamed Ezat returns to Lake Nasser, he makes a shocking discovery: the identity of the lake as he had known it all his life has dramatically changed. Fishermen have taken control of the lake’s activities, surpassing their fishing habits to target the largest organism on the top of the lake’s food chain. Crocodile numbers have since decreased in an unimaginable way. Once worshiped as god-like creatures in the ancient kingdom, surviving in the waters for thousands of years, their existence today is risking extinction. This realization leads Ezat to take action. Together with a group of dedicated lone stars, he launches the first and only crocodile conservation unit in Egypt.
The film tells the story of two friends starting from the moment they return to the lake and ending with the crocodile egg hatching season, the peak season for hunters and crocodile smugglers. At night we follow the crew on a suspenseful investigation across the lake uncovering shadow networks of illegal wild life trafficking. During the day their mission becomes a dreamy journey across the vast lake, taking us deeper into the world of the young scientists, whose isolation and deep immersion into the magical worlds of the mythical creatures begin to blurr the parameters of reality. But with dwindling crocodile sightings and harsh setbacks, tough decisions lie ahead. Is it time to give up or continue the mission?
Environment and wildlife stories have for too long been exclusively in the domain of white Western filmmakers, giving African documentary filmmakers the impression that this is not for us. This feels strange since wildlife, nature and the relations to animals are a central element of our mythologies and oral histories. Crocodopolis seeks to shift these dynamics, both in front of and behind the camera. We are a team of Egyptian filmmakers with a substantial part, including the scientists, being from the Southern part of Aswan where the film takes place. We have incredible access to the story and have, throughout, been working with the communities surrounding the lake, weaving their stories and relationships with the crocodiles into the story and creating the necessary awareness and impact.
. Director’s Statement .
I have been a documentary filmmaker for many years with a strong passion for wildlife and environmental issues. I was fascinated by crocodiles since my days in South Africa and I knew that they inhabited the Southern part in Egypt in Aswan. It was at the end of 2018 that I met Mohamed Ezat, one of the founders of the Egyptian Crocodile Management Unit who invited me to accompany him on one of his research trips. I was drawn into his research only to understand the urgency and devastating situation the more I spent time with Ezat. To date, Ezat and his team are the only researchers in the field of crocodile protection in Egypt and all their efforts are self-organized. It was clear that we had to make a film. Throughout the three years we have been working on the film and visiting Lake Nasser multiple times, we have completely immersed into the lake, its ecosystem and the communities, with some former poachers beginning to join Ezat’s protection mission. It has been an incredible and yet devastating journey that demands higher attention. We can’t wait to share the film with you.
In times of catastrophic declines in biodiversity across the world, we are facing an increasing threat to life on Earth. The research on reptiles at risk is still highly under researched, while recent data shows that the risk of extinction for crocodilians grows, with around 58% to be under threat, due to overexploitation and persecution. Major threats crocodilians in the wild face is the loss, destruction or degradation of habitat. In the past, the unregulated hunting of crocs for their valuable skins was the prime concern for their survival. Despite all of this, there is far too little action being taken to prevent the extinction of the crocodiles in Egypt. The film follows two researchers as they uncover hunting infrastructures, taking the case of crocodile poaching at Lake Nasser as a case in point for a global phenomenon. Raising awareness for the local communities around Lake Nasser as well as national and global political change makers, the film is paired with an impact campaign with local and international environment conservation NGOs. We have no time to lose!
In the spirit of DIT - Let's Do it Together!
The film seeks to raise recognition for the dramatic situation on local, national and international level encouraging people to take action. We need to spread information about the importance of crocodile protection among the residing communities as well as creating political pressure to alter policies for crocodile protection on a state level. Secondly, the film seeks to create support to build a new economic model that does not center on the exploitation of the lake’s ancient organisms but transforms the lake economy towards a sustainable future through ecotourism.
Once finished, the film will go to national and international film festivals speaking to local as well as global audience. It is clear for us that the film needs to be accompanied by a targeted impact campaign. Hence, we have three impact producers with environmental background on our team. We want to organize a series of screenings and workshop with the communities around the lake, creating conversation around the topic together with the film crew. To assemble all information we gathered, we want to create a website that is linked to a YouTube channel. We hope to bring back Conservation Studies to the University of Aswan. And above all, we want to support the attempts by engaged community members to build up ecotourism infrastructures which is already happening.
We have come a long way, but we still have some miles to swim.
We are currently in production and have finished around 75% of the shooting. We need to raise funds to shoot the final scene of the film and go into editing. Simultaneously, we are working on an impact campaign to ensure that the film will reach the right audience and create awareness where it’s needed - with policy makers, conservation activists, local and global communities.
The funds raised will help us with technical challenges and equipment, underwater filming and travelling to remote locations where illegal wild life trafficking exists.
But most importantly, each cent of your contribution will help us to raise awareness for a topic we can no longer afford to ignore. So support our cause, because each contribution makes a huge difference!
The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. If you’d like to be a part of supporting Crocodopolis and help to stop crocodile extermination on Lake Nasser, YOU can make the difference in our success!
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want. We can't do this without you!
Here are some examples. Feel free to copy and paste!
Help the Nile Crocodiles and the campaign against their extinction by supporting Omar Manjouneh's heartfelt documentary film Crocodopolis about the disappearance of Nile Crocodiles in Egypt's Lake Nasser.
JOIN THEM ON
@https://seedandspark.com/fund/crocodopolis-2#story
Instagram: @seera_films_gmbh
https://www.facebook.com/CrocodopolisFilm
. \\ // * WE GIVE THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT * \\ // .
The film team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Nauticam FX3 Housing for Sony FX3 Full-frame Cinema Line Camera
Costs $4,080
Equipment for underwater diving scene with crocodiles. This will be the final scene of the film.
N120 180mm Optical-Glass Wide-Angle Dome Port
Costs $1,415
Optic for Underwater shooting for diving scene with the Crocodiles
230mm Optical-Glass Fisheye Dome Port II
Costs $2,301
Underwater Optic for diving scene with the crocodiles.
Kraken Hydra 15000 Wide\Red\Green\Blue\UV
Costs $1,099
Underwater lights for diving scene with the crocodiles
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Director’s Profile : Omar Manjouneh graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 2015. He decided to follow his passion to become a wildlife filmmaker by traveling to South Africa gaining experience as an intern and volunteer before becoming an established wildlife and underwater cameraman executing assignments for several Governmental Entities, NGOs, research centers and national parks in South Africa Malawi, Mozambique and Egypt. In 2020 he finished a 1 year post graduate diploma in VFX. Currently working commercially as VFX Onset data wrangler/ VFX Producer responsible for the execution of visual effects and CGI scenes in several films, TV series and commercial. As a filmmaker he directed three short films which were screened in national and international film festivals,”Crocodopolis” is his first feature documentary. His short film inside the game was the official selection at the Dublin International short films and music festival.
Producer's profile: Kesmat El Sayed is a producer, and co-founder of SEERA FILMS an independent production company based in Egypt. After launching her first international production “Althawra...khabar” (Reporting a revolution) which premiered at the Berlinale 2012, she founded a production company to produce creative feature documentaries and narrative films that have social relevance and transcends country borders. See Media Production has produced 3 short documentaries and 2 feature length under the Seera Films brand that have screened in festivals like Hotdocs and in cinema in Egypt and were launched online.
Producer's profile: Laura Kloeckner joined SEERA FILMS as a producer in 2022. She lead the DOX BOX Mouatheqat/Women in Dox program before, where she produced her first two documentary films between 2020 and 2022. She previously worked for the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig) and the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). She is a researcher and curator at the Berlin based art space SAVVY Contemporary.