Our First Home - Full documentary (2025)

Extremely excited to share a project that's very close to our hearts at Wagtale. 

We made this film about the origins of modern humans on the southern cape coast of South Africa. 

Made in collaboration with Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and scientists from the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, this film showcases their work in "reconstructing the Quaternary palaeo-landscape and seascape (“palaeoscape”) of the south and southeast coasts. This reconstruction will enable the development of testable hypotheses on the selective regimes that shaped the region’s biota, including modern humans. No region anywhere else in the world offers such an opportunity."

A special thanks to Dr Curtis W. Marean (Paleoanthropologist), Dr Hayley C. Cawthra (FGSSA, PR.SCI.NAT. Chief Scientist), Prof Richard Cowling (Botanist), Dr Jan C. De Vynck (Human Behavioural Ecology), Dr Robert Anderson (Marine Biologist), Dr Charles Helm (Paleontology and Ichnology) and Grootbos conservation manager Sean Privett (Botanist) for sharing this story with us.

We hope you enjoy it and learn something about how absolutely special the southern tip of Africa is.