The creation of the new Asilia brand video
In an ever-changing world where every experience seems rushed, superficial, or observed through the pixels of a computer screen, there has never been a greater need to be liberated by wild open spaces and seize meaningful moments of wonderment.
At Asilia, we believe in providing these life-changing ‘Moments of Wonderment’. Our brand vision is to offer experiences that make you feel deeply connected to nature, each other, and the endless landscapes we inhabit.
Vision made visible
As we worked towards the launch of the new Asilia website, we wanted to create a brand film that spoke to the authenticity of an Asilia safari, the emotion of the experience, and the relatable impact that time in the wilderness can have on you. We wanted to create something extraordinary. As the vision evolved, we realised the need to look beyond the exceptional safaris and luxurious accommodations, to the people that make it possible through the values they display. Our people are stewards of wonder, curators of awe, and architects of transformation. Our people are the heartbeat of Asilia – our storytellers who weave magic around campfires, our guides who unlock the hidden secrets of the savannahs, and our chefs who infuse flavours into every meal. Our values — genuine, honesty, quality, commitment, and care – are proudly displayed in everything that they do. This is the lifeforce of Asilia that needed to be conveyed.
We are proud of the positive impact we make across the East African wilderness. From pioneering conservation initiatives using the mechanism of tourism to ensure the protection of wilderness areas, to empowering local communities through job creation, education, and conservation. Our legacy is rich with respect for nature, culture, and sustainable practices. We don’t just talk about change; we embody it. Our lodges and camps are sanctuaries of connection, offering you the opportunity to not only experience an Asilia safari, but become a part of our family by choosing to travel with purpose, thereby contributing towards crucial positive impact initiatives.
Warren Smart
The challenge of creating a brand film that could accurately capture this essence was no simple task. We collaborated with Warren Smart, an award-winning cinematographer known for his work around sustainability and conservation, and for capturing and conveying emotion from subject to viewer. His brief was to capture the feeling of the experience offered by Asilia, whilst creating an immersive visual journey of self-discovery, with an awareness of our connections to both nature and each other. Warren rose to the challenge, and, after discussions, content trips, and many hours of editing, produced a finished product that resonates with the essence of Asilia.
![A Maasai stands alongside a towering tree beneath a canopy of green.](https://i0.wp.com/www.asiliaafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/3.-Standing-longer-than-youve-been-alive.jpg?resize=1000%2C563&ssl=1)
We had two shooting windows for the short film. The first was a five-day shoot in March 2023, capturing the textures and beauty of the Asilia experience across The Highlands in Ngorongoro Crater and Sayari in the northern Serengeti. The second shoot, also five days, took place in May 2023 at Encounter Mara in Kenya. This allowed us to refine the imagery and makeup with additional location content, capturing the personality of our people as well as the essence of an Asilia experience.
Hellen Bulugu
The narrative of the film is threaded together by our character’s yearning to find herself in adventure, constantly luring the audience into one visual spectacle after the next. She explores these fleeting moments of natural wonder in an attempt to harness each experience into poem. This introspection rings true as we see her journaling lines of inspiration that lead to the poem we hear throughout the film. She presents the world through the eyes of someone at peace – someone completely free in the present.
![Helen Bulugu enjoys a sundowner beside the fire.](https://i0.wp.com/www.asiliaafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/4.-Helen-Bulugu.jpg?resize=1000%2C563&ssl=1)
Hellen Bulugu, an award-winning Tanzanian writer and poet, played a crucial role in this project. She wrote a bespoke piece for Asilia, which became our poem. Hellen also starred as the main character in the film, embodying a woman whose poetry vocation is inspired by her travels in Africa. Her process of being present includes capturing her experiences and expressing them through poetry, providing a universal reflection on finding contentment through rewilding oneself in nature.
The poem
SPIRITED
There’s the whisper of it on the wind when you go back.
Back to the tall grass and cracked earth where it all began.
Where mornings talk and evenings listen.
Where the brush strokes of the sky give breath.
The memories, you feel it in the bump and blister of bark,
In places rubbed smooth by the hides of elephant history.
Standing longer than you’ve been alive.
Feeding and nurturing the smallest and the greatest,
the seen and the unseen of our wild spaces.
It comes from the roots; it comes from the heart.
And from those who were dancing and dreaming before we did.
Faces unforgettable.
Joy that rolls and rumbles uninterrupted.
We are spirited, alive.
What is it that lives in the wild?
The essence – it is beautiful and kind.
One can never breathe in nature and leave unchanged.
On purpose you’ll go back.
The memories strong and vivid.
Pulling you to absorb the profound music of nature.
To listen to the birds chirping, the wind lifting.
Peace, renewed… You recall where it is, the wild.
In amongst a landscape of curated structure.
Lose yourself in nature and find peace, they say.
I lost myself in nature and I found me.
That moment right there is living.
This is what it feels like.
When you want to return to the whispering plains of East Africa. Remember these moments.
Embers still burning long after the flames.
There it is, the wild energy flowing.
Pushing us always,
To feel closer.
The finished product
We are excited to share this new chapter of our journey with you. And, as you embark on an incredibly immersive journey with us, know that you are family, part of our legacy and story. We hope our brand film stirs your inspiration, regardless of your previous experiences in East Africa. Together, we will create moments of wonderment and memories that last a lifetime.
![A shower of embers takes flight as a camp fire is stoked.](https://i0.wp.com/www.asiliaafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1.-Asilia-people-Evelyn.jpg?resize=1000%2C563&ssl=1)
Let your inspiration guide you, contact us today.