"Follow the Zebra" is thought-provoking, informative and moving on many levels, with impeccable editing that really brings to life the daily struggles of the Tanzanian miners it depicts. Every time the filmmakers descended into dark subterranean passages, risking their lives along with their subjects, I found myself down there with them, striving toward the heart of something elusive and dangerous yet truly beautiful. It's the kind of film that actively encourages consciousness about not only the products we consume, but the human cost behind that consumerism. Even someone who was never particularly interested in gemology before could take something away from this film, and in fact, we all could. The only thing I really wish the film contained is an appearance by the narrator, who remains unseen throughout, but otherwise it comes with my highest recommendation.
2 Reviews
Impressive scenes
reno-689681 July 2015
Follow the Zebra (the word "zebra" referring to the veins in rocks that show miners where the source of gems are) was recommended to me by a friend who travels often to Africa. It was much better made that many other indie documentaries I've seen and left me feeling like I got something out of it, though I never personally had any serious interest or knowledge about gemstones or the industry before. Like most people probably do I'd had a vague idea that the gathering of valuable stones was a dangerous practice full of exploitation of land and resources but this clears up a lot of those misconceptions, showing the daily life of the workers and going into depth about the legal and economic aspects of this trade. All in all the film gets to the core of the subject and keeps the narrative together. The director looks like he's got potential and I'm curious to see what he does next.
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