The Guide, a documentary short featuring E.O. Wilson, is a coming-of-age tale set against the restoration of a war-torn national park in Mozambique. Raised near Gorongosa National Park, young Tonga Torcida dreams of becoming a tour guide. But when he meets famed biologist E.O. Wilson, his new view of the world around him—and his future—places him at a crossroads. Should Tonga become a guide, or take on a bigger role in trying to keep the park alive?
The Guide can now be found on the following digital platforms:
iTunes
Amazon
Google Play
XBOX
Vudu – link coming soon!
Blinkbox – link coming soon!
A note from the filmmakers:
“In making The Guide, our challenge was to tell the intertwined story of an environment and its people: Gorongosa, the war-torn national park in Mozambique, and its surrounding community of 200,000. We were fortunate to meet Tonga Torcida, a local teenager with dreams of becoming a tour guide. He felt the hopes of the community and the park on his shoulders, and over two years, we tracked his journey to fulfill everyone’s expectations, including his own.
Tonga faced a crossroads when he met famed biologist E.O. Wilson, whose passion for science and discovery revealed a new way to look at the world. As Tonga wrestled with whether to aim for a steady salary as a guide or take on a bigger role in trying to keep the park alive, we witnessed a young man’s coming of age. With breathtaking visuals and gentle humor, The Guide is an uplifting story of a place and an individual that need each other.”
—Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstein
The Guide is directed by Jessica Yu and produced by Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstein. The Guide has screened at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Aspen Shortsfest.
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