Mara Nights
(1996)
The first ever production to record animal behaviour at night without the use of lights, Mara Nights is an intriguing insight into a whole host of unseen nocturnal antics in Kenya's Masai Mara National Park. The normally astute hunting techniques of the lion are replaced by complete reliance on scent and sound, and in the words of the filmmaker Martin Dohrn "bumping into things then jumping on them".
Produced by Dohrn's award-winning production company Ammonite, the film employed revolutionary image-intensifying starlight cameras to capture all of the park's night-time action. Providing a unique view of the park, the innovative new technology looks on as elephants collapse on the grasslands, hyenas take advantage of the moonlight to stalk their prey and baboons squabble in the dark treetops.
Mara Nights was a groundbreaking production, providing a glimpse into the nocturnal activities of a whole host of species.
Martin Dohrn
