Kitundu Jonathan

‘I think some people didn’t realise travelling is fun until they watched Katambuga’

As a self-confessed “naughty boy” growing up in Dar es Salaam, Kitundu Jonathan admits he rarely went to school, preferring to go on adventures with his friends. However, a taste of photography and filmmaking inspired him to learn more and gave the acrobatics-loving adrenaline junkie the opportunity to explore the remotest parts of Tanzania and to showcase his love of nature. Now Kitundu is a leading light of Tanzanian filmmaking – having worked for a host of domestic and international clients – and the creative force behind hit travel reality show Katambuga.

Q: It seems school didn’t interest you much, but once you found something you loved – filmmaking – you were keen to learn and improve your skills. How did your time at Kilimanjaro Film Institute (KFI) help you develop as a filmmaker?

A: When I joined KFI I did not know much about films, I was just capturing things without any idea. But being there I came to understand how every shot counts, how to tell a story from your shot composition and the lighting. I also met lots of friends.

Q: Can you tell us about one of your most memorable adventures behind the camera?

A: There was this time I was in Enduimet, in Kilimanjaro National Park, and I was filming a team of rangers carrying out their various activities, such as catching poachers and helping communities. One day we got a call from villagers that elephants had invaded the farms.

To chase the elephants away the rangers use chilli bombs, made from pepper powder mixed with rice or sugar for weight, and in the middle a firework with the fuse wire sticking out. So, you light the fuse, wait and then throw it into the sky over the elephants. When it explodes, the chilli powder covers the area and, hopefully, the elephants run away.

I remember it was so cold and wet that I could barely feel my hands when I threw my bomb so it exploded in the air over us, covering us in powder.

When we did get one to explode over the elephants, they all ran except for one calf. It was crying and its mother returned for it and started chasing after us. She was as big as our car. Still, we drove the elephants away from the field. It was better that way because before they were being killed by farmers for eating the crops.

One day, we walked for more than eight hours to catch poachers we had seen from afar in the park. We caught up with them at night. It was so dark I couldn’t see in front of me, but I could hear their footsteps and smell the animal they had killed. The rangers lit their torches and gave chase and I followed. The rangers only had long Maasai sticks, but I called out: “Afande (soldier), shoot him” and one of the rangers replied: “Yes, sir”. Fearing for their lives, the poachers gave themselves up. We had tricked them.

Q: Have you always been an adrenaline junkie?

A: I have always been fond of extreme sports like rock climbing, sky/sea diving and exploring caves. It makes me feel good to do it.

Q: When did you start taking photographs and making films? Did you feel an instant connection using a camera?

A: As a child I admit that I was very naughty and curious. My best friend Faraji and I thought we were wasting our time in school when we could be out exploring. We loved adventure, whether that was sneaking into a military base or an abandoned building or finding new routes to investigate.

I also loved martial arts. When I was living in Mwadui in 2008, a local acting group was looking for someone who could do acrobatic stunts and knew fighting skills for a movie. We would fight and rehearse all day and I became the best among the 10 or 12 fighters there. There is one movie which was amazing. In it I perform an impressive stunt, jumping over a giant guy and kicking him with my heel. More film roles followed and I was learning new skills, holding the boom mic for sound or white balancing the camera.

Soon I was behind the camera shooting weddings and then on to my own films. I got contacted by Damian Bell, the founder of environmental non-profit Honeyguide Foundation, in Arusha, who was looking for a filmmaker to join the anti-poaching unit in Kilimanjaro. Damian and his wife, Sally Capper, could see my promise and they got me enrolled at KFI.

Q: Your mother raised you and your siblings mostly on her own. What kind of sacrifices did she make to ensure you and your siblings were looked after?

A: Every time I get to asked this kind of a question, the tears start to fall. It brings all the painful memories back. My father left home in 1998 when I was nine and my younger brother had just been born. He would drink and beat my mother so bad she lost her front teeth and would get frequent headaches. He also beat me.

When he left, things were still hard as my mother was ill from complications during the birth of my brother. When she started to get better, she began work as a security guard and she would train rangers. She worked day and night to support us. I rarely saw her sleep. She had to work long hours because the salary was barely enough to cover rent, food, and other expenses. To save money she would walk on foot up to 17km or more, from Mbagala where we lived to jobs in Posta or Kurasini. She has sacrificed so much for us.

Q: What has been your proudest moment so far?

A: I remember when I was assigned as videographer on a team of four people to shoot a documentary about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for adventure operator Zara Tours. My colleagues had been in training for three months to prepare for the climb, while I hadn’t yet. Yet three days into the climb, the team were so exhausted that I had to take over the photography as well as the filming, even when we had to start our ascent to the peak at 11pm. I got some amazing sunrise shots. I’m tough.

Another moment is when I was working for I-View Studios in Dar and had only a few days to create a pilot of a Tanzanian version of the successful South Africa TV show Our Perfect Wedding. DStv wanted it and were offering TZS 300 million. I spent three days and nights working to finish the project. The next day I came into the office and everyone was clapping. DStv loved it. We had the deal for Harusi Yetu.

Q: Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for your travel reality show, Katambuga?

A: The idea of Katambuga came up when I was travelling to different places in Tanzania, and I had amazing experience with the Hadzabe tribe, in the death zone of Mount Kilimanjaro and at Oldonyo Lengai. I thought it could be important to tell all these stories to people.

Q: How did you select the members of the Katambuga team? Who are they?

A: All the characters in Katambuga are people I know from different backgrounds. I wanted different characters: journalist Diana who can dig for stories, Festo the thinker, a diva like Nancy and me who is someone who never backs away from a challenge. It worked. We were a fresh combination and the response to the show was overwhelming.

Q: Were there moments when you were frightened on the trips?

A: There were times when I thought I’m not going to live to complete this story. For instance, it was very difficult in Mpwapwa, in the Dodoma Region. We walked for two days to almost reach our destination, but the villagers threatened to kill us and wanted us to leave immediately.

Also, when we explored the Amboni Caves, near Tanga, there was a place there full of boxes where no-one was allowed to enter. Everyone was scared to even approach, but my curiosity was pushing me to know what was inside. Everybody else left. It was just me and the boxes.

Q: How much of what viewers see in episodes of Katambuga is real and recorded just as it happened?

A: All the stories in Katambuga exist. We talk to the locals before we explore. Stories such as the Pua Mbili caves and the giant snake are all real.

I admit to exaggerating a little when it come to the love stories that play out in Katambuga, but I know the market in Tanzania. If the show was just about adventures and exploration, it wouldn’t have been such a success. You have to add some love, drama and conflict as this is what people have been fed from the media. But, at end of the day it is still my show and my direction.

Q: How important is reality to you as a storytelling filmmaker?

A: People are getting smarter and smarter. Once they find out you faking, you will be forgotten, easily. If we tell false stories we create a bogus nation and I don’t want that to happen.

Q: Can you tell us about any secrets you have uncovered in the upcoming second and third series of the show?

A: I love the coming season; it has less dramas and more discoveries. We have been able to discover one of the oldest Baobab trees in the country. It is believed to be more than 200 years old.

We discovered it at the entrance to a cave, which has been used for many years by the Gogo tribe in Mpwapwa to bury their dead. We go into the cave and find lots of human remains. We are still in post- production but by the end of this year, the new series will be on air.

Q: Can you explain what fascinates you about nature and where did this fascination begin?

A: Most of the places I would escape to from school were green, wild places. When I came to Arusha, I became more curious about wildlife. I have always been fan of [UK broadcaster and natural historian] David Attenborough and have learned much from his BBC wildlife documentaries.

Q: How much do you collaborate with other creatives and do you feel part of a growing movement in Tanzanian filmmaking?

A: Collaboration is very important in the film industry. It opens doors to other opportunities and it’s a great way to learn and improve your skills. Lots of young budding filmmakers have been coming to me for advice and training, but sometimes you have to take a leap on your own. I’m the youngest filmmaker in the Tanzania film industry to take on a series of the scale of Katambuga. I’m very proud of that.

Q: How satisfying has the positive audience reaction been to you?

A: The positive comments have been overwhelming. The audience has been demanding more and they have been suggesting more locations for us to explore. It seems in Tanzania in order to get popularity for your show, music or movie you need to collaborate with a celebrity to promote you, but we are all fresh faces in the market. But we want to reach further. People from countries such as Kenya, Congo, Uganda, the US and Germany are watching our show on YouTube.

Q: The Katambuga team are all young, modern Tanzanians. How influential do you think the show can be in encouraging young people to explore the wonders of their own country?

A: We get so many DM messages from people requesting to travel with us. I think some of them didn’t realise travelling is fun until they watch Katambuga. We really need local tourism and a show like Katambuga communicating clearly to Tanzanians that there are many stories to tell out there.

Q: If you were organising a dinner party, which three celebrities would you invite?

A: Nancy Sumari, because she is amazing with heart and brains. She has supported me with Katambuga, but she has done so much more since she became Miss Tanzania. She has kept upgrading and developing, running Bongo 5 and Jenga Hub to help the young generation thrive through innovation and technology.

Jokate Mwegelo, because I like her. She used to be my crush back in the days growing up.

Finally, Ambwene Yesaya (AY) one of the most successful musicians in Tanzania. He is very smart and a person I would love to sit with him at the same table.

Q: Is there somewhere in the country you want to visit, but haven’t yet?

A: Yes, there is a huge list of people and places. Among them is Oldonyo Lengai, Snake Island (I’d find out why they don’t want you to go there), the underground route from Tanzania to Kenya, the hidden underground path in Bagamoyo, Lake Ngozi and its miracle and the last bloodline of the Hadzabe.

Q: What music do you like to listen to?

A: I love country, mostly Bob Dylan and Don Williams. I also love hip hop and listen to artists like Kanye West, Mwana FA, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z and AY. I also love Bongo Flava, Ali Kiba, Ruby and Lady Jay Dee.

INFORMATION

The first series of Katambuga is available to stream on YouTube while the second and third series are upcoming on Wasafi TV. Kitundu Jonathan also runs his own production company. For details or to suggest a collaboration, visit @ kitundujonathan on social media or email kitundujonathan@yahoo.com