Ethiopia — Aerial footage of an extraordinary country
Ethiopia is one of the most fascinating and contrasted countries in Africa. The cradle of humanity, a crossroads of ancient civilisations, a land of green highlands and some of the most hostile deserts on the planet, it offers from the air a succession of landscapes and sites of rare diversity. Our Ethiopia collection is one of the richest in our African catalogue — built over several filming expeditions to regions that are often difficult to access.
The Danakil Depression and Dallol — More than 100 metres below sea level, the Afar Depression is one of the most hostile and most extraordinary places on earth. Surface temperatures among the highest in the world, the permanently active lava lake of the Erta Ale volcano, and the surreal landscapes of Dallol — hydrothermal springs in acidic shades of sulphur, salt and iron oxide that form chromatic compositions worthy of another planet. Seen from the air, the Danakil Depression is one of the most arresting images in our entire collection.
The salt caravans of Lake Assal — On the shores of Lake Assal, Afar caravans load their dromedaries with slabs of salt extracted by hand for centuries, before crossing the desert to the markets of the highlands. These aerial images of caravans — long lines of dromedaries standing out against the blinding white of the salt flats — rank among the finest in our African catalogue.
Lalibela and the rock-hewn churches — In the heart of the Wollo highlands, Lalibela is home to one of the most extraordinary religious complexes in the Christian world : eleven monolithic churches entirely carved from red basalt rock in the 12th century, connected by underground galleries and trenches cut into the stone. Seen from the air, the disposition of these churches within their mineral landscape is of an absolute and unique beauty.
Gondar and the Epiphany ceremony — A former imperial capital, Gondar preserves a remarkable ensemble of 17th-century castles and churches. Our collection includes footage of the Epiphany ceremony — Timkat —, one of the most important religious festivals in the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar, which brings tens of thousands of faithful into procession through the streets of the city each year, in a spectacle of colour and popular devotion that is exceptional when seen from the air.
Lake Tana and the Blue Nile — The source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana is Ethiopia's largest lake. Its islands shelter ancient monasteries with remarkable frescoes, while its shores are the scene of traditional farming practised for millennia — farmers ploughing with oxen, fishermen on their papyrus boats, herds crossing the marshy meadows. Images of great gentleness, in complete contrast to the violence of the Danakil landscapes.
Tigray — landscapes, villages and churches — In the north of the country, the Tigray region unfolds landscapes of plateaus carved by deep valleys, stone villages clinging to escarpments and agricultural terraces sculpted into the rock over centuries. Our footage covers the magnificent landscapes of this region, its farmers and villages, as well as its rock-hewn churches — some perched at vertiginous altitudes, accessible only by paths cut into the cliff face.
The Simien Mountains — A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Simien National Park is one of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in Africa. Its basaltic escarpments plunge several hundred metres into the void, its peaks reach over 4,500 metres and its highland meadows shelter the last herds of geladas — those red-chested baboons endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. Seen from the air, the dramatic geology of the Simien offers aerial compositions of rare visual power.
This footage was shot using gyro-stabilised Cineflex / GSS systems mounted in helicopters, available in HD and 4K.
Aerial footage of Etiopia
