We both come from broadcasting backgroundsโฆ myself as a television presenter and Susan as an editor so we literally had to give up everything to make this documentary. We had to self-fund the film initially, so weย sold our homes, moved in with our mothers, and quit our jobs at the broadcasters. Anticipating it to be a six month project, we quickly found ourselves immersed in a world far larger and moreย dangerous than we ever anticipated, finally emerging from theย odysseyย four years later!ย
When we started filming we soon realised that we couldnโt just focus on the source site, โwhere rhinos areโ, but we also had to focus on the demand site โwhere rhino horn is usedโ โ the very thing our rhinos are being slaughtered for. But thatโs easier said than done! Filming in a communist country like Vietnam is extremely difficult as all forms of media are controlled by the communist party. Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries according to Reporters Sans Frontiersโ freedom of information and press index and is also one of the biggest prisons for journalists and citizen bloggers in the world. We did formally apply for a filming permit in 2015โฆ but weโre still waiting for it! No filming that will tarnish the governmentโs image is allowed in the country. In order for us to capture the illegal side of things, we had to become illegal ourselvesโฆ
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We slipped into Laos as tourists and then made our way through to Vietnam and Hong Kong. We booked into a hotelย with a credit card but stayed in another, where we paid cash. We used different cellphones and sim cards to avoid detection.ย Ifย we wereย caught our equipment would have been confiscated, our footage destroyed, and we would have probably ended up in prison or worse.
Were we scared?
Bonnรฉ: The scariest moment for me, and I mean I could literally feel my heart in my throat, was when we got into the car of an illegal wildlife trafficker. The car itself told the story of a rich lifestyle, generated by the illegal trade in the most valuable commodity on earth... rhino horn. Here we were, not knowing where they were taking us and who we were about to meet. I was covered in hidden cameras, with one even strapped to my body which I wouldnโt be able to get off quickly. In my mind there were on only two options... we were either about to capture on camera what we came thousands of miles to film or they would search us when we arrived, and we would get chopped up and thrown into the Mekong river.
Susan: Sure we were! We flew in countless helicopters just above the tree line, accompanied the police on raids and arrests, walked with rangers patrolling in the heart of the African wilderness where you never know whatโs around the next koppie and of course all theย undercover work in Asia wasย extremely stressful. But I wasย incredibly nervous when I knew Bonnรฉ was going to ask a difficult question from someone who might get upset and make things unpleasant. We were always on their turf, sometimes in someoneโs home in Vietnam or on a farm out in the middle of nowhere.
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~ Written by Bonnรฉ de Bod (Stroop presenter and co-producer)