There is no doubt that the wildlife is fantastic, and in ‘Capitaine,’ Johann Vorster shows the world a part of the wildlife that may not be as familiar as the one presented all the time in documentaries. The inland waters of the African continent and the fish that find a home there is not something we usually get to see, and what Vorster did is more than a documentary as it unveils new horizons for us, the viewers.

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‘Capitaine’ focuses on the big fish that roam the running water, fish that can go up to two meters, and tens of kilograms. What caught our attention in this documentary is the reason why all the people involved did it, and that is to raise awareness and to promote fishing tourism as a sport. The difference between sport fishing and regular fishing is that in the first one, the fish is taken out of the water, measured, and then released back into the water so as the habitat would not be endangered.

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In terms of the technique used, ‘Captaine,’ is nothing like a nature documentary, and goes way beyond that. The short and different segments that burst out of nowhere, such as the one with the night fishing near the end, all remind us of a narrative feature rather than a documentary. It contains all the different genres, from experiencing the thrill in a Hollywood-like impossible action-escape scenario to having a comical and truly euphoric moment of realization about the true extent of what nature has to offer. Moreover, everything was brought so incredibly well that we were genuinely amazed.

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The professionalism of everyone involved in this excellent production is visible in every frame of what is seen and every second of what is heard. Most action movies would struggle to compete with the cinematography in ‘Captaine’, as the scenes we witness seem almost impossible yet impossibly beautiful. A film we strongly recommend! 

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Written by Vlad A. G