PRESS ROOM

This Summer, American Public Television and WORLD Channel Transport Audiences to an African National Park that is Saving Endangered Animals while Lifting Communities out of Poverty

“Our Gorongosa” shares the stories of the women who are transforming conservation and development in Gorongosa National Park and providing the next generation of girls with opportunities for empowered futures

Chevy Chase, MD (July 26, 2021) – “Our Gorongosa,” the inspirational film by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Gorongosa Media is debuting on public television stations across the country this summer and nationally on WORLD Channel, produced by GBH in partnership with the WNET Group in New York and distributed by American Public Television. Close to 90% of U.S. households will now be able to see the film on their local public television station (check local listings for exact dates and airtimes).

“Our Gorongosa” features Dominique Gonçalves, a vibrant Mozambican ecologist who runs the Gorongosa elephant ecology project as she shares the myriad ways Gorongosa is redefining the identity and purpose of an African national park. From her own work mitigating human/elephant conflict; to community clubs and school programs that empower girls to avoid teen marriage and pregnancy; to health clinics and nutrition training for expectant mothers and families; Dominique transforms viewers’ understanding of what a national park can be. The commitment of the remarkable women who run these programs—and the resilience of the mothers and girls who are benefiting from them—tell an inspiring story of strength and hope.

“Our Gorongosa” has captivated film festival audiences since its debut at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and its festival premiere in 2019 at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. The film is currently being screened in schools and communities across Africa.

“We hope viewers across the United States are as inspired as we are by the women and girls featured in this film,” says Sean B. Carroll, head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. “These scientists, conservationists, educators and healthcare workers remind us that communities - of people and wildlife - are remarkably resilient and can thrive, if given a chance.”

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique is perhaps Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story. In 2008, a 20-year public-private partnership was established for the joint management of the park between the government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation (Gorongosa Restoration Project), a U.S. nonprofit organization. In 2018, the Government of Mozambique signed an extension of the joint management agreement for another 25 years. By adopting a 21st century conservation model of balancing the needs of wildlife and people, Gorongosa is protecting and saving this beautiful wilderness, returning to its rightful place as one of Africa’s greatest national parks.

Gorongosa National Park has been described as one of the most diverse parks on Earth, covering a vast expanse of 400,000 hectares. In recent years, the Gorongosa Project, with the support of Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas, has ensured the protection of a recovering population of lions in this system, successfully reduced key threats, and has been recognized as one of National Geographic’s “Last Wild Places” and by TIME Magazine as one of the “World’s Greatest Places-2019.”

“Our Gorongosa” will air on the following stations (for specific air times and channels, check your local listings):

  • June 2: NJ PBS in New York, NY
  • June 3: Detroit Public Television (WTVS) in Detroit, MI
  • June 4: Austin PBS (KLRU) on the KLRU Q Channel in Austin, TX 
  • June 6: WEFS in Orlando, FL
  • June 7: WEFS in Orlando, FL
  • June 16: WYIN in Chicago, IL
  • June 16: WFYI in Indianapolis, IN
  • June 18: KET in Kentucky (Statewide)
  • June 22: OPB on OPB Plus in Portland, OR
  • June 22: KLRN in San Antonio, TX
  • June 24: OPB on OPB Plus in Portland, OR
  • June 24: Alabama Public Television in Birmingham, AL
  • June 27: OPB on OPB Plus in Portland, OR
  • June 27: WEDU PBS/Tampa on WEDQ in Tampa, FL
  • June 27: PBS North Carolina (UNC-TV) on PBSNC-EX Channel in Raleigh-Durham, NC
  • June 27: PBS North Carolina (UNC-TV) on PBSNC-EX Channel in Greensboro, NC
  • June 29: KBTC in Seattle, WA
  • June 29: WEDU PBS/Tampa on WEDQ in Tampa, FL
  • June 29: PBS North Carolina (UNC-TV) on PBSNC-EX Channel in Raleigh-Durham, NC
  • June 29: PBS North Carolina (UNC-TV) on PBSNC-EX Channel in Greensboro, NC
  • June 30: Houston PBS/KUHT in Houston, TX
  • June 30: New Mexico PBS (KNME) in Albuquerque, NM
  • July 1: KET on KET2 in Kentucky (Statewide)
  • July 2: Jax PBS (WJCT on 7.4 Channel in Jacksonville, FL
  • July 3: Ball State PBS (WIPB) in Indianapolis, IN
  • July 7: KUEN in Salt Lake City, UT
  • July 8: KVCR in Los Angeles, CA
  • July 9: KET in Kentucky (Statewide)
  • July 10: KVIE on KVIE2 in Sacramento, CA
  • July 11: WITF in Harrisburg, PA
  • July 17: WTTW on WTTW Prime in Chicago, IL
  • July 18: WGVU in Grand Rapids, MI
  • July 18: KCET PBS in Los Angeles, CA
  • July 21: PBS 12 (KBDI) in Denver, CO
  • July 21: KQED in San Francisco, CA
  • July 22: KQED on KQED Plus channel in San Francisco, CA
  • July 28: Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta, GA
  • July 28: South Florida PBS (WPBT) in Miami, FL
  • July 30: KENW on 3-1 Channel in Albuquerque, NM
  • July 31: WNYE in New York, NY
  • August 1: WORLD Channel, Nationwide
  • August 2: WORLD Channel, Nationwide
  • August 2: PBS Utah (KUED) in Salt Lake City, UT
  • August 5: WORLD Channel, Nationwide
  • August 7: WHYY in Philadelphia, PA
  • August 9: Maryland Public Television (MPT) in Baltimore, MD
  • August 22: KCTS 9 in Seattle, WA
  • August 22: WDSC in Orlando, FL
  • September 15: PBS Charlotte WTVI in Charlotte, NC
  • September 15: KPJK in San Francisco, CA
  • September 26: South Florida PBS WPBT in Miami, FL
  • September 26: KCPT in Kansas City, KS
  • September 29: PBS North Carolina UNC-TV in North Carolina
  • September 30: KCPT in Kansas City, KS
  • October 1: WHUT in Washington, D.C.
  • October 2: WHUT in Washington, D.C.

To find out if “Our Gorongosa” is airing in your city, contact your local public television station.

For more information about “Our Gorongosa,” broadcasts through American Public Television, please contact Nimmi Singh at nimmi@marigoldmediagroup.com.

 

About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that crafts exceptional films about science and scientists for broadcast, theatrical and digital distribution. As storytellers within a world class science organization, we are uniquely positioned to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of our time-and explain why they matter. Recent films include “The Serengeti Rules,” which won an Emmy for outstanding nature documentary; Ric Burns’ “Oliver Sacks-His Own Life;” “The Farthest-Voyager In Space,” which won an Emmy for outstanding science documentary; and Peabody Award-winning “Inventing Tomorrow,” which premiered at Sundance and aired on PBS/POV. For more information, please visit www.tangledbankstudios.org.

About WORLD 

WORLD shares the best of public media in news, documentaries and programming. WORLD’s original series examine the issues and amplify the voices of those often ignored by mainstream media. The multicast 24/7 channel helps audiences understand conflicts, movements and cultures from around the globe. Its original work has won a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, a National News and Documentary Emmy Award and many others honoring diversity of content and makers. WORLD is carried by 189 member stations in markets representing over 73% of US TV households. Funding for WORLD Channel is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts and Artworks. WORLD is produced by GBH in partnership with WNET and is distributed by American Public Television (APT).  Find out more at WORLDChannel.org.