The Storm (film)

The Storm is a 2008 Canadian documentary directed by Canadian actor and filmmaker Ross Birchall.

Principal photography took place in rural areas of Eastern Africa, parts of Indonesia, in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, D.C. and Louisiana in the United States of America.

The film is currently in post-production, and is produced by Canadian film production company Nightlife Pictures (nightlifepictures.ca).

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Plot summary

Home to just 12% of the world's population, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 60% of all people living with HIV. As filmmaker Ross Birchall journeys to Eastern Africa to investigate the true horror of living in countries beneath the poverty line, we realize the one thing that we share despite our many differences is the fact that we are all human. As such, our role is clear: to help each other. This is the story of a continent in disarray; how a storm of a different kind is affecting our world. This is Africa.

Filming in Africa

The Storm was filmed in High Definition on location in Eastern Africa from February to April, 2007. Crew set up production in several HIV/AIDS orphanages, rural health clinics and treatment centers, and slums such as the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, with a population of some one million. Political and civil unrest posed a viable threat to the project, with featured cast and crew in a considerable amount of danger.

Cast

• Ross Birchall ... as Himself/Narrator
• Dr. Frederick Wekesa ... as Himself/Health Consultant
• Mwai Kibaki ... as Himself
• Bill Clinton ... as Himself (Archive Footage)
• John F. Kennedy ... as Himself (Archive Footage)

Crew

• Jack Anduvate ... Location Scout
• Havartsinh Vaghela ... Kenyan Poverty Advisor
• Robertson Osangale ... Ugandan Poverty Advisor
• Dianne Erickson ... Registered Nurse and HIV/AIDS Consultant

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the film features music by Brooklyn-based indie-rock band The National (band), as well as a partial original score by director Ross Birchall.

Production Notes

• All scenes filmed in North America appear in black and white. All scenes filmed overseas appear in color. The entire documentary is presented in 16:9 widescreen format.
• Near the end of scheduled filming, director Ross Birchall was robbed at gunpoint while travelling in a matatu (taxi minibus) near a border region of Uganda - he was unharmed in the incident.