Impact Days Catalogue
By Jigar Ganatra and Immanuel Musa Marco

Children of Honey

Olanakwe sa Baalako

Children of Honey follows three young Hadza friends—Nd!uba, Nguilabe, and Embilibi—at a critical crossroads of their once-peaceful hunter-gatherer community. With 90% of their ancestral land lost and modern pressures mounting, they must decide whether to hold onto their ancient traditions or be pulled into modernity. Alcohol, which the Hadza cannot metabolise, has become a devastating force, causing violence and disintegration of family bonds. As the community faces climate change, land loss, and internal collapse, these three young Hadza must navigate an uncertain future. The decisions they make over the next two summers will shape not only their own lives but the future of the Hadza people, in a film that offers an unprecedented, intimate look at an ancient culture on the brink of transformation.

Section : Impact Days
Country : Tanzania
Original languages : Swahili, Hadza
Directors
Jigar Ganatra (Tanzania / Tanzania)
Immanuel Musa Marco (Tanzania)
Producers
Natalie Humphreys (United Kingdom / United Kingdom)
Storyboard Studios
Completion
March 2026
Impact Statement
“We are Hadzabe and we want the world to know who we are” Children of Honey amplifies the voices of the Hadzabe and other hunter-gatherer communities around the world, empowering them to safeguard their cultural heritage and lead their own solutions. Our impact campaign will support Hadza-led initiatives such as the revival of their endangered Hadzane language and community-driven conservation efforts. It will shed light on Indigenous Knowledge Systems, to inspire a shift in how global audiences perceive nature—not as a resource to exploit, but as a home, and a spiritual place, we all are inherently part of. We will work to ensure that Indigenous voices are heard, their rights are respected, and their ways of life are preserved for future generations.

Impact Goals
  1. Raise awareness of the Hadza community challenges, and engage policymakers to support and protect hunter-gatherer lifestyles.
  2. Support the Hadza community to build agency, capacity and narrative sovereignty to achieve their environmental conservation & social welfare priorities on their own terms.
  3. Support safeguarding work of Hadza language, and their Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to prevent cultural erosion of humanity’s collective hunter and gatherer heritage.
Impact Strategy
  • Already in motion: A) Construction of the Hadza Media & Culture Hub; B) Training of Hadza storytellers on stills photography.
  • Next Steps: A) Fitting the Hub with audio & video equipment; B) Training the Hadza on advanced audio-visual storytelling; C) Hosting screenings and discussions for women, youth and elders in Hadza camps; D) Establish a focus group to inform the next phases.
  • Post-film Release: A) Show the film in international cultural heritage organizations to encourage policies and initiatives that protect the lifestyles and preserve the traditional knowledge of the 10 million hunter gatherers around the world; B) Seek collaborations and partnerships with expert organizations to strengthen community-led initiatives, such as the conservation work of the Village Game Scouts and Ishishimo Primary School’s focus on language revival.
Contact
Primary contact
Simona Nickmanova (Slovakia / Tanzania): simona.nickman@gmail.com

Film funders
Screen Scotland

Broadcasters
BBC Storyville

NGOs & International Organisations
African School of Storytelling (AFRISOS)

Experts & Academics
Hunter Gatherer Education Advocacy Group

Other
Documentary Campus
IDA – International Documentary Association

Film funders
Screen Scotland

Broadcasters
BBC Storyville

NGOs & International Organisations
African School of Storytelling (AFRISOS)

Experts & Academics
Hunter Gatherer Education Advocacy Group

Other
Documentary Campus
IDA – International Documentary Association