FILMING IN SUTHERLAND
The Karoo, or ǃ’Aukarob in San, is vast – Over 400,000 square kilometres of semi-desert, covering an immense expanse of South Africa. It was considered impenetrable by early explorers – a barrier shielding the interior of South Africa from intrepid travellers. But if you look beyond what you see with the naked eye – the endless desert and heat, with sub-zero temperatures during winter – you may just find some amazing hidden treasures. This is why we recommend Sutherland, Northern Cape of South Africa.
Sutherland
A normal rural town in the Karoo? Definitely not. Sutherland has the odd distinction of being the coldest place in South Africa. Temperatures plunge to -20 degrees Celsius in winter, accompanied by snow and ice brought by the cold fronts rolling in from the tip of Africa. The cold is largely due to an altitude of 1550m above sea level, and clear open skies – which also made it the ideal location to host the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) field station, featuring the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere…..
SALT
The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is not only the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere but also one of only three in the world. With an 11m hexagonal primary mirror array and a further 91 individual 1m hexagonal mirrors, this is Africa’s Giant Eye on the Universe. SALT is an international initiative – funded by a consortium of international partners from South Africa, USA, Germany, Poland, India, the United Kingdom and New Zealand – and is one of close on 15 telescopes perched on the mountain top outside Sutherland.
MeerKAT
And it does not end there. Travel another 258km into the Karoo and you will find the tiny village of Carnavon – a traditional farming hub with a rich San history – and now home to something far bigger. The South African MeerKAT project is a massive 64-antenna radio telescope located outside Carnavon.. but wait there’s more.. MeerKAT – as big as it is – is merely a precursor for SKA, or the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Radio Telescope in Africa. SKA is an international initiative to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area.
Unprecedented
The scale of the SKA represents a huge leap forward in both engineering and research & development towards building and delivering a unique instrument, with the detailed design and preparation now well underway. As one of the largest scientific endeavours in history, the SKA will bring together a wealth of the world’s finest scientists, engineers and policymakers to bring the project to completion.
The current 64-antenna setup will morph into thousands of dishes and up to a million low-frequency antennas that will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and survey the entire sky much faster than any system currently in existence – with an observational ability exceeding the world-renowned Hubble Space Telescope.
And it is all happening right here in the Northern Cape. So next time you are looking for something different as subject matter for a documentary or magazine programme – or a very unusual location for your next shoot, try reaching for the stars. It is closer than you think. Film Fixers has conducted numerous shoots in the Northern Cape – including both Sutherland and the SKA project – and we look forward to welcoming you here for your project.
