Dragon blood

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Dragon Blood

Documentary, 19 min

Yemen, 2019

Editor, colourist

Synopsis

In a country torn by the violence of an enduring civil war, an ancient type of tree is endangered by a different conflict altogether: the human/nature conflict that is currently present worldwide.

Along with a huge range of other species, the Dragon Blood tree is endemic to Socotra, Yemen. It is both a botanic and cultural symbol of the Island, but climate change and overgrazing are threatening this species. Dragon Blood trees are very slow to reproduce and it is very possible that we will witness their extinction within our lifetimes.

When Marsel van Oosten, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018, learned that there would be flights to the Island for the first time since the outbreak of the civil war, he didn’t hesitate to buy the first flight out there.

Marsel hopes to make the world realize what will be lost when the trees wither, by showing them in their natural environment. But because of the isolated habitats of the tree and the bad infrastructures leading there, it might have proved his most challenging project yet. Dragon Blood documents the personal quest of Marsel and all the obstacles in his way.

Besides the core documentary, we created a cross-media campaign for Nikon. With short socials and longer form text, video and photo, it is a truly branded documentary experience.