Craig and Damon Foster reply 'To our amazement some people have asked if animals were drugged in the making of The Great Dance. This came as a shock and was both an insult to us, but more so to the abilities of the Bushmen, who have been hunting in these ways for hundreds of generations. All the hunts we filmed are as they happened as part of the Bushmen's normal hunting procedure. Enormous effort and planning went into keeping up with them, with a team armed with five digital cameras. Some cut-aways and close-ups were filmed after the fact to complete the sequences, especially during the bow hunt, as it was impossible to stalk quietly enough with the cameras. The chasing hunt is a combination of continual live action over a period of four hours as captured by three cameras. Planning to be able to keep up with Karoha, the runner took six months of planning and training. Semi-habituated animals were used to mount cameras onto, but always with the help of professional handlers, who would never have allowed their animals to be drugged. Huge time and effort was taken so as not to stress any of the animals. For instance, we waited for 7 days to mount the camera onto the springbok, so as to get it used to our presence and to wait for the right time. It was so relaxed with the camera on its body that it began normal feeding behaviour during the procedure. We feel very blessed to have been fortunate enough to have been in the Kalahari during a time when a number of unusual events took place that have never been filmed before. We feel very privileged to have been shown a world of unimagined power and integrity by !Nqate, Karoha and Xlhoase. We can assure anyone watching the film that this is a small slice of the lives, knowledge and ability of these extraordinary people, and we did our best over a period of three years to portray them as they are.'

Run to the Death

 

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