"The Tobacco King" was filmed and produced as part of the Elon University senior's Lumen Prize work.
A documentary by Elon University senior Dan Koehler will be screened April 15 during the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“The Tobacco King” shares the story of George Botha, a white farmer in Zambia who relocated to the African nation after he lost his land in neighboring Zimbabwe. Koehler explores the racial complexities at play between Botha and his 200-strong black workforce.
An 80-second trailer for “The Tobacco King” is now available online.
Koehler’s film has been chosen as a 2012 Ivy Film Festival finalist and won first place in the Broadcast Education Association’s recent long-form student documentary competition.
The media arts and entertainment major spent seven months in Zambia interviewing Botha, his workers and local experts. His film was completed through support of the Lumen Prize, which provides selected students with a $15,000 scholarship to support and celebrate their academic and creative achievements.
In addition to the RiverRun festival, Koehler’s work will be screened at a time to be determined during Elon University’s CELEBRATE! week at the end of April.