There is no place on earth quite like Africa. Capturing the essence of the land and its people has become a personal and professional mission for MotionMasters’ president, Diana Sole. In June, she made her fifth trip to the continent, and for her crew of writers, producers and videographers, it was return appearance No. 4. Each time she makes the journey, she and her crew carry with them the lifelong vision of the late Rev. Leon H. Sullivan to improve human rights, social justice and economic fairness in every country throughout the world. Sullivan was a Charleston, W.Va. native and a friend—and inspiration—to Sole.
Sole and her crew made the ten-day excursion to Tanzania to document “The Summit of a Lifetime,” the eighth edition of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit series dedicated to providing a platform for Africa’s political, economic and cultural leaders. The summits are organized by The Leon Sullivan Foundation, and in keeping with Rev. Sullivan’s legacy, are designed to promote hope and advance change on a global scale. Summit VIII focused on four key areas: investment, infrastructural development, tourism and environmental sustainability.
MotionMasters’ staff who made the 7,000 mile trip (Sole; Executive Producer Brian Peterson and videographers/editors Doug Morris and Lukas DeGruyl) took few personal belongings with them, but packed plenty of the company’s brand-new HD gear to capture every fascinating detail in a way neither tape nor film can. Planting trees, riding in a caravan through the crater of an inactive volcano, spotting lions sunbathing and recording lively dancers and musicians in a spirited performance—these are the images brought to near-3-D life in stunning high-definition by the MotionMasters crew.
Forty-seven nations were represented at the summit and many well-known people were in attendance, including actor Chris Tucker and Rev. Jesse Jackson. How did the MotionMasters crew sum up their adventure? It was unanimous: “Life changing.”
View photo gallery of trip:
See excerpts from the trip and the summit: