National Geographic Fimmaker Kire Godal joins Friends of Africa as a member of the national Board of Directors and initiates the Pokot School Project with FOAI founder Bonnie Bishop.
Kire was born in Aspen, Colorado to Norwegian parents who helped found the ski resort. She grew up on horse back and on skis exploring the mountains with her brothers. This developed a life long appreciation of the natural world and an adventurous spirit. Kire left Aspen to model in New York with Ford Models, and later decided she was more interested in being behind the camera than in front of the lens, and went to UCLA to study journalism and film. Today Kire has combined her love of adventure with her skills as a filmmaker to create original stories for worldwide audiences. Today, Kire documents Africa’s vanishing tribal culture with her partner, Mike Moller, Board Member of the Nairobi branch of Friends of Africa International.
Recently Kire fulfilled a dream to tell the story of Kenya’s Maasai warriors and lions on the brink of extinction. She completed “Lion Warriors” for National Geographic Wild Channel’s annual Big Cat Week with her brother Erik Godal who composed the music and also helped her produce. “Lion Warriors” was nominated at 2011 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival for best in “People & Nature” category, as well as being a finalist in three categories at the International Wildlife Film Festival 2011.
Since 2000 Kire’s exploratory work has documented many rare and secret ceremonies of diverse traditional groups in Africa. Four of her HD films for the “Tribal Odyssey” series have been airing since 2007 on The National Geographic Channel International, France 5 and other channels worldwide.
To make her films, Kire, her soundman Mike, (and often her young son Kinna), live intimately with a tribe recording for months at a time. Their gentle approach leads to exclusive access, and ‘never before seen footage’.
Passionate about wildlife, Kire is dedicated to human-wildlife issues in Africa. She has made human wildlife conservation films for: UNEP, WWF, NAT GEO Big Cat Initiative, Rhino Ark, Maasailand Preservation Trust, among many others. Kire was also an On-Camera Correspondent & Producer for the FOX Family TV wildlife series “World Gone Wild”.
She also raises funds for her own humanitarian projects including, private sponsorships for education, health care, and conservation in Africa.
Kire directs, shoots, writes & edits herself, and runs Malaika Productions & Original Godal Productions in Nairobi Kenya where she lives with her son and dogs. Kire is the first owner / operator of the RED ONE camera in East Africa.