Das Auge Afrikas: Der Filmpionier Hans Schomburgk

Directed by Anna Schmidt

In 1898, barely 18 years old, the German Hans Schomburgk, a native of Hamburg, set foot on the black continent for the first time. In 1912, he was admitted to the Royal Geographical Society in London and convinced a production company to finance his first film expedition to Africa. Two years later, the apprentice director achieved immense success with the documentary "Hiking and trails in Africa". Tested by the two world conflicts - the Allies confiscated his reels during the Great War, just like the Nazis, in 1940 - Hans Schomburgk managed to bounce back by setting out again to film the endangered wildlife of Kruger Park or the ancient traditions of the San, until to his farewell to Africa in 1956.