28 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT
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NAMIBIA: MORE THAN
SUNKISSED DESERT DUNES
Known for its dramatic, arid landscapes, Namibia offers a vast array of desertscapes for filmmakers to use, from the highest dunes in the world to its abundance of wildlife, Namibia is ready to welcome your film shoot.
D
ense bush and rugged mountains, rolling dunes and breath-taking coastal plains are the order of the day in Namibia. It has a rich history of indigenous and colonial German cultures that is reflected in its architecture and locations. From the coastal dune belt to the Himba villages in Purros, to the Kunene River to the Ugab River, Namibia offersmuch to discerning filmmakers. Locations like the Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in Africa, continue to attract filmmakers and photographers, while Swakopmund is another favourite with its sandy beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean rich with colonial landmarks such as the Lighthouse and the Mole. Sossusvlei is well known for its salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes.
FILMS SHOT IN THE COUNTRY
Some of the most popular films shot in Namibia include Samsara, 10 000 BC, Beyond Borders, A Far Off Place, Flight of the Phoenix and The Young Black Stallion. American psychological thriller The Cell was also shot on location in Namibia, as was BAFTA awardwinner The Hunters, and Stanley Kubrick’s renowned sci-fi, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Recently Namibia welcomed and assisted ITV with their first episode of Straight Talking
with Ant Middleton. MTV’s series The Challenge was shot entirely in Namibia, while LG shot part of their commercial for the new LG OLED TV at Deafvlei and Sandwich Harbour, both iconic locations. In 2016 Tom Cruise’s Middle East scene for The Mummy was filmed in Namibia, while George Miller’s Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road was also shot here that same year.
FILMING ON LOCATION
Visiting productions must apply for a General Film Permit from the Namibia Film Commission at
least three weeks prior to arrival. Additional permits will apply for specific locations, shooting b-roll in cities, use of public space, national parks, drone filming, or filming with tribes such as the Himba and San people. An environmental officer is required to be on set each day of filming in a national park. Guy Nockels CEO of Namib Film explains: It is easy to get permission to film in Namibia, as long as you are working with a local company such as Namib Film. The Namibia Film Commission has changed their regulations
CLIMATE Namibia has a subtropical desert climate characterised by great differences in day and nighttime temperatures, low rainfall and overall low humidity. Average sunlight hours range between 9 hours per day in February and 11 hours per day in August. The annual precipitation is 370 mm, with most taking place between January and May.
