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Baxu and the Giants

Baxu, a 9 year old girl, lives a peaceful life with her older brother Khata and alcoholic grandmother in rural Namibia, until strange men show up and cause change in the village. First the neighbour starts acting suspicious, then Baxu notices changes in her own household. Keen on finding out what Khata is hiding from her, Baxu investigates and learns that her brother started poaching, in order to improve his family's living conditions. Baxu has to make a tough decision - will she stay quiet or will she listen to the rhinos, the giants of the Savannah, who she talks to in her dreams and risk losing the people she loves the most?

  • Florian Schott
    Director
    KATUTURA (2015) I Winner of 7 Namibian Theatre- & Film Awards (incl Best Narrative Film, Best Director, Audience Choice Award, Best Script) I EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON (2013) I Winner of the 2014 Afrinolly Short Film Competition I Winner of 2 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards (incl Best Director)
  • Florian Schott
    Writer
    KATUTURA (2015) I Winner of 7 Namibian Theatre- & Film Awards (incl Best Narrative Film, Best Director, Audience Choice Award, Best Script) I EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON (2013) I Winner of the 2014 Afrinolly Short Film Competition I Winner of 2 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards (incl Best Director)
  • Girley Jazama
    Writer
    The White Line
  • Andrew Botelle
    Producer
    The Power Stone, Born in Etosha
  • Girley Jazama
    Producer
    The White Line
  • Florian Schott
    Producer
    KATUTURA (2015) I Winner of 7 Namibian Theatre- & Film Awards (incl Best Narrative Film, Best Director, Audience Choice Award, Best Script) I EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON (2013) I Winner of the 2014 Afrinolly Short Film Competition I Winner of 2 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards (incl Best Director)
  • Camilla Jo-Ann Daries
    Key Cast
    "Baxu"
    Winner of 2019 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards for Best Female Actor ('Baxu and the Giants')
  • Wafeeq /Narimab
    Key Cast
    "Khata"
    Winner of 2019 Knysna Film Festival - Best Supporting Actor Short Film ('Baxu and the Giants')
  • Anna Louw
    Key Cast
    "Ouma"
    Winner of 2014 Namibian Theatre & Film Award as Best Female Actor (for her performance in 'Stinky Boy')
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Environmental, Family, Children
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 25, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Namibia
  • Country of Filming:
    Namibia
  • Language:
    Afrikaans, English, Other
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital (Sony FS7)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    September 14, 2019
    World Premiere
    WINNER - Best Foreign Narrative
  • Windhoek Premiere
    Windhoek
    Namibia
    September 19, 2019
    African Premiere
  • Namibian Theatre & Film Awards
    Windhoek
    Namibia
    October 5, 2019
    WINNER Best Female Actress - Camilla Jo-Ann Daries I WINNER Best Editing - Robert Scott I WINNER Best Production Design - Tanya Stroh
  • Wallachia International Film Festival
    Bucharest
    Romania
    October 13, 2019
    Romanian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Knysna Film Festival
    Knysna
    South Africa
    October 31, 2019
    South African Premiere
    WINNER Best Cinematography I WINNER Best Supporting Actor - Wafeeq /Narimab
  • AFRIFF
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    November 12, 2019
    Nigerian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • AfryKamera Film Festival
    Warsaw
    Poland
    December 15, 2019
    European Premiere
    3rd Place Audience Choice Award
  • NexGn International Short Film Festival
    Ichalkaranji
    India
    Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Barbados Independent Film Festival
    Bridgetown
    Barbados
    Caribbean Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Pan African Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Nominee - Best Narrative Short
  • Toronto Black Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Children's Film Festival Seattle
    Seattle
    United States
    Seattle Premiere
    Official Selection
  • RapidLion - South African International Film Festival
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    Nominee - Best Humanitarian Film
  • Cape Town International Film Market & Festival
    Cape Town
    South Africa
    Official Selection
  • Dreamanila International Film Festival
    Manila
    Philippines
    May 20, 2020
    Winner - Best Director
Distribution Information
  • Netflix
Director Biography - Florian Schott

Florian is a German born living in Namibia since 2009. He has worked in film since 2002 and all over the world, from Europe to Africa, South America and the Antarctica.
His self financed Short Film ‘Everything Happens for a Reason’ (2013) won the 2014 Afrinolly Short Film Competition in Nigeria as well as two Awards at the Namibian Theatre & Film Awards, including Best Director.
Florian’s first feature film ‘Katutura’ (2015) went on to become the most successful Namibian film to date, screened at various Film Festivals and won 7 Awards at the 2017 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards (including Best Narrative Film and Best Director).
Florian's Short Film ‘Baxu and the Giants’ (2019) won multiple international Awards including Best Foreign Narrative at the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival and nabbed three wins at the 2019 Namibian Theatre & Film Awards.
Florian has a number of projects in development, next to this he directs for German television.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In late 2018 I was approached by Producer Andrew Botelle, asking if I would be interested in directing a Short Film aiming to sensitise Namibian teenagers of Wildlife Poaching in rural Namibia, commissioned by the Legal Assistance Centre Namibia.

I was intrigued, but I realised that I did not know too much about the issue - not more than any fairly interested person from reading about poaching in newspapers and watching documentaries.

Giving it a bit of thought though I realised that, however limited my knowledge at the time - I did have an opinion. I felt that the some of the reasons for Wildlife crime - why do poachers poach? what are the social and economic reasons behind it? - were somewhat missing from the conversation.

Another thought was - wouldn't it be great to see the issue through the eyes of a young girl? A girl that does not understand why anyone would kill animals for monetary gain, but is forced to learn as she comes into contact with it. And we - the audience - learn about it with her. Watch her forced to grow up and make difficult moral decisions.

I started developing the script with my co-writer and - from that time on - partner-in-crime, Girley Jazama. And in writing I found myself more and more dealing with issues but also beautiful idiosyncrasies that I carried inside of me from having married into a family from the Damara tribe myself.

We quickly fell in love with Baxu and her way of seeing the world.

Finding her was another mission. After auditioning almost 50 girls, from public auditions to visiting schools and churches, we finally found our perfect Baxu in 9-year old Camilla Jo-Ann Daries.

Making this film was a beautiful, informative and emotional process. We travelled, we met people, and everybody that came into contact with our story and our young heroine helped in some way, many people working hard on bringing Baxu and her story to life, and out into the world.

With this film we aim to create a discussion around Wildlife Crime.
And to highlight one of the roots of the issue - a lack of perspective and opportunities for young people in the villages in rural Namibia.

And - hopefully - this film can be part of the change and inspire the youth to be the generation that ends Rhino Poaching.