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S27 Ep13

Victoria Falls

Premiere: 6/19/2011 | 00:00:30 | NR

Victoria Falls, is the largest waterfall in the world, this awesome force of nature divides two natural worlds - the tranquil meandering river above the cascade and the raging abyss of the gorge below. 6/5/13

About the Episode

After traveling 1,000 miles from the north, the Zambezi River reaches the edge of one world and plummets 350 feet into another. Victoria Falls, between the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is over a mile wide. No other waterfall in the world can match her scale.

The Zambezi is known as the “River of Life” across southern Africa, but surviving by the river near Victoria Falls is not always easy. During the rainy season the Zambezi has a fierceness and a power that is deadly to both animals and humans. At the peak of the rainy season, almost 300,000 gallons of water cascade over the falls every second.

Despite the danger, many birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals call this area home. And a fisherman, known as Mr. White, has lived in a nearby town for 74 years, spending almost every day by the falls. NATURE joins Mr. White as he tells us Zambezi’s story — a story of the changing seasons and many moods of the river.

During the dry season, life gravitates to the river by Victoria Falls. As the sun beats down and the water level lowers, grass-covered islands above the falls are exposed. Families of elephants from the surrounding savannah flock to the Zambezi to make the river crossing. Predator and prey rely on the river for water, and pairs of bee-eaters and pied kingfishers dig nests in the exposed muddy banks. Fish eagles raise their young and teach them to hunt, and hippos crowd the waters.

Life flourishes, for a while. And then, months later, clouds gather in the sky and rising waters force many animals to leave. It is the rainy season, and Victoria Falls becomes magnificent again – her voice rising from a whisper to thunder.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Television Credits

Narrated by
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM

Produced by
JAMIE McPHERSON

Filmed by
JAMIE McPHERSON
CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

Aerial Cameraman
SIMON WERRY

Offline Editor
NIGEL BUCK

Colorist
JONATHON PROSSER

Voice of Mr. White
LOUIS MAHONEY

Dubbing Editor
PAUL CLARK

Dubbing Mixer
MARTYN HARRIES

Camera Assistant
TOM VARLEY

Grip
NICK WATSON

Production Manager
CAROLYN NAYLOR

The Producers Wish to Thank
TONY KING
ETTY VARLEY
MR WHITE’S FAMILY
EDWIN MWAMPOLE
JOSEPHAT M. CHUMA
NATIONAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
ZAMBIA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY
ZIMBABWE TOURISM AUTHORITY
ZIMBABWE PARKS AND
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
TONGABEZI
PETER JONES
EVELYN ROE & BRETT SAUNDERS
STEVE EDWARDS

Executive Producer for Halcyon Media
CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES

Series Editor for The BBC
TIM MARTIN

© 2009 BBC All Rights Reserved

For NATURE

Series Editor
JANET HESS

Supervising Producer
JANICE YOUNG

Senior Producer
LAURA METZGER

Producers
IRENE TEJARATCHI HESS
JILL CLARKE

Production Manager
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN

Production Assistant
JAYNE JUN

Manager
EILEEN FRAHER

Re-Recording Mixer
ED CAMPBELL

Online Editor
DAVID NOLING

Offline Editor
IRENE TEJARATCHI HESS

Series Producer
BILL MURPHY

Executive in Charge
WILLIAM GRANT

Executive Producer
FRED KAUFMAN

A Production of Halcyon Media, BBC and Thirteen in association with WNET.ORG

THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY THIRTEEN, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

© 2009 WNET.ORG
All Rights Reserved

Web Credits

Producer
TANNER VEA

Production Assistance
DIANA COFRESÍ-TERRERO

Writing
“Introduction,” “Photo Essay: Victoria’s Many Moods,” and “Imagining the Scale of the Falls” by ANGELA SAKRISON
“Interview: Producer/Cameraman Jamie McPherson” by IRENE TEJARATCHI HESS
“More on Zimbabwe’s Politics” by CHARLOTTE MANGIN

Designer
JOY WEEENG

Pagebuilding
BRIAN SANTALONE

Technical Director
BRIAN LEE

Creative Director
NICK MILLER

Director of Digital Strategy
DAVID HIRMES

Director of Production
DANIEL B. GREENBERG

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Dan Goldman, Executive Director, thirteen.org. Bob Adleman, Business Manager.

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