In some parts of West Africa, hunting is much more than killing animals. A donso is no common hunter, but a healer, a diviner, a ritual specialist and amulet maker. KALANDA – The Knowledge of the Bush is a unique initiatory journey into the knowledge of donsoya from the perspective of the filmmaker. It was filmed during a year of research in Burkina Faso, thanks to the filmmaker’s initiation and practice of donsoya. His teacher becomes a narrator who carries him and the viewer through a variety of experiences that show the richness of the knowledge of donsoya. The camera and sound recording techniques work to position the viewer in the shoes of an apprentice: the whole documentary mixes autobiography and reconstruction, continuously blurring the line between teachings and fiction. Filming involved the hunters in a collaborative process, layering observational footage, experimental video, out-of-sync sound and still photography.

The film is now available in three different packages: the film only, special content including the music of the hunters and bonus videos, or a deluxe package including all the above for a discounted price.

Winner of Best Ethnographic film at the VI Festival Internacional do Filme Etnografico do Recife (2015).

Winner of the Werbner Award for Visual Ethnography and of a Commendation for the RAI Film Prize at the 2015 Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival.