British Pathe

Umfolozi, Zulu Land / Zululand, South Africa

High angle shot of Tropical sea coast from cliff. Cut to a L/S of hilly green landscape with mountain tops in background. L/S of the cattle in field. Cut to M/S of young African boy leading cattle through small pond (creek).

This is Zululand,...

Umfolozi, Zulu Land / Zululand, South Africa

High angle shot of Tropical sea coast from cliff. Cut to a L/S of hilly green landscape with mountain tops in background. L/S of the cattle in field. Cut to M/S of young African boy leading cattle through small pond (creek).

This is Zululand, Umfolozi Game Reserve - starting point of a safari. "No motor transport is allowed where the white rhino is the lord of the land" - voiceover informs.

Various shots of Zulu village in which group of white people prepares for safari. Panning shots of people leaving village followed by several mules with packs on their backs. The last in a little caravan is guard carrying gun. Not for shooting, just for security.

Succession of shots of people walking, searching for animals. Animals start appearing as the caravan travels further away from 'civilisation'. Great landscape shots, beautiful plants. After six days, the caravan arrives "in the land of white rhinos".

M/S of people getting their cameras ready. Several C/U shots of rhinos. Great panning shots of two lively rhinos running around. C/U shot of face of a woman as she takes photographs of rhinos.

M/S of people gathered around fire after a great day. Top shot of the fire dying out.

L/S of a village. Pan from the small round houses (huts) to reveal great landscape of hills covered with villages. This is the land of the "Red Blanket" people (the tribe name) - narrator tells the audience.

M/S of African women working on field. Cut to a C/U shot of a woman smoking long pipe. "Women in particular smoke those long steaming pipes" - explains the narrator. Several C/U shots of women smoking.

M/S of the small round hut-style house. People mingling around the house, children playing - they all look happy. M/S of younger woman bathing the baby. "That's another habit they developed, along with their pipe smoking" - narrator claims. C/U shot of a woman bathing the baby.

M/S of a woman carrying bucket. She approaches another woman kneeling over a cauldron, cooking. "They'll touch palms in their own ceremonial way of greeting" - their greeting looks like a variation of contemporary greeting of young black men (handshake, 'thumbs-up', 'skin', 'five' etc.,). Top shot of the food being stirred, cut on C/U of face of cook.

C/U shot of woman's hands grinding corn maize. C/U shot of face of young boy watching her. M/S of two men making roof. One is on roof catching bundles of straw and placing them on roof construction, covering it. The other is throwing bundles from the ground.

M/S of a boy ringing large school bell. Pan to L/S of children hurrying towards the school - large round house painted white. Some of the children carry their books on their heads. Children gather around the teacher in front of the building. They are sitting on chairs outside the school forming a half-circle around the teacher who is standing in front of the blackboard. Succession of shots of teacher and children at school.

M/S of a woman sitting outside the hut sewing beads on to a cloth. C/U shot of the beaded articles on display - great jewellery. "For generations, the Red Blanket people went in for beautiful beadwork - art, disciplined and delicate."

White couple admire the beadwork. Woman, helped by man, tries on a beautiful necklace. C/U shot of a man taking photographs.

Zulu dance - explosion of colourful feathers, great jewellery and enormous energy. Some very good shots in this sequence. Top shot of the Zulu man's feet as he dances. Low angle shot of three dancers holding white feathers in their hands. Great L/S of the dancers and the audience.

Mr. Billy Butlin, visitor from the West, cannot resist an invitation to join the dancers so he puts a leopard skin over his clothes and jumps in. He proves to be a very good dancer and he enjoys it.

M/S of line of Zulus beating drums. Low angle C/U shot of a young Zulu man beating the drum vigorously (powerful shot). Cut to M/S of the line of young Zulu men beating drums.