Review: Victoria Falls: The Smoke that Thunders – Natural World: Victoria Falls: The Smoke that Thunders (2009)

Director: Nigel Buck | 50 minutes | documentary

The smoke that thunders. The imposing Victoria Falls, for example, are known to the local residents who live in the shadow of this natural wonder of the world. The falls are located partly in Zambia and partly in Zimbabwe and also made an indelible impression on the renowned explorer David Livingstone, the first white person to have the honor of seeing the falls with his own eyes and in all its glory: “No view in the UK can beat the beauty of this. Such lovely images must have been admired by the angels during their flights. ” Livingstone named the falls after his queen, Queen Victoria. Outside of the native Africans, the Arabs were probably the first outsiders to visit the falls. The nature documentary “Victoria Falls: The Smoke that Thunders”, an episode of the BBC nature series “The Natural World”, shows that the Victoria Falls have lost little in strength and beauty even in the 21st century.

The story of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi, the stream that feeds the mighty falls, is told from the point of view of a local fisherman, a man who largely depends on the wealth provided by the river for his daily bread. Meanwhile, the countless natural fruits that can exist by the grace of the Zambezi pass by the eye of the viewer in mesmerizing image quality. Crocodiles and colossal hippos comfortably bathe in the warm light of the tropical afternoon sun, while an African fish eagle (which is somewhat confusingly referred to as African fish eagle in English and is therefore often referred to as African fish eagle) deftly a tasty fish out of the water snatches. Against the background of the slowly setting sun and under the scarlet veil of the sunset, migratory and playfully bathing elephant herds complete the image of a pure, heavenly primeval landscape, a partly untouched natural oasis in an increasingly crowded and uniform world. Victoria Falls also pays attention to the people who live on the Zambian side of the falls and the Zambezi, mainly fishermen who live off what the river has to offer them.

In a now famous and beautifully filmed scene, we see how a group of daredevils even fish at the edge of a waterfall, just a few meters away from a yawning precipice that is many tens of meters deep. The reason for this strategy: potentially dangerous animals such as crocodiles and hippos prefer to stay in deeper waters and you won’t find them here. Unique night images also make it clear that the Victoria Falls can also be enchantingly beautiful and enchanting at night. The African narration voice and the lively, varied soundtrack, which makes it clear that music is in many ways the soul of the African folk character, also add to the authenticity of “Victoria Falls”. In short, “Victoria Falls” is a documentary that lovers of the rich African nature and culture should not miss. An inspiring portrait of Victoria Falls and the people and animals that live in the immediate vicinity of this natural wonder of the world.