Production Information

As a child, she was told of the incalculable magic of Africa. In her wildest dreams, however, she could not have envisioned the incredible pain that hid in its vast beauty.

Now, Kuki Gallmann (Kim Basinger) craves the excitement and freedom that is missing from her contained life in Italy. She confides to her son, "I want to do something good with our lives... make a new start." So this daughter of privilege gambles on love and a risky move to one of the most unyielding spots on earth—the wilds of Africa.

So begins "I Dreamed of Africa," a fierce, passionate love story about the universal desire to discover adventure, lose one’s inhibitions and meet the challenges of life, told against the magnificent backdrop of Africa’s mythical beauty and unsolvable mystery. Life in a strange land explodes into a powerful saga of joy and pain, promise and purpose, death and resurrection. Through it all, Kuki knows without a doubt that this is the time and Africa is the place she has waited for all her life.

Though first in awe of the incredible power of nature and sense of freedom in the wide open Kenyan countryside, Kuki soon discovers that life in rural Africa is not a fairy tale existence. Wild elephants and lions roam the land unhindered, devastating storms destroy all in their path and desperate poachers ruthlessly murder endangered animals. Yet through the most trying of setbacks, Kuki emerges as resilient, filled with the strength and desire to take on life lovingly and fearlessly.

Academy AwardÒ -winning actress Kim Basinger stars in Columbia Pictures' "I Dreamed of Africa," inspired by the true story of the indomitable Kuki Gallmann, a beautiful, inquisitive woman who experiences the rigors and rewards of rural Kenya. Vincent Perez, international star of "Indochine" and "Queen Margot," stars as Paolo Gallmann, her charismatic partner in this daring adventure.

Columbia Pictures proudly presents The Jaffilms Production of A Hugh Hudson Film, "I Dreamed of Africa." A bold but intimate drama directed by Hugh Hudson, who made the acclaimed "Chariots Of Fire," the film is based on Gallmann's popular autobiography. The film is produced by Academy AwardÒ -honored Stanley R. Jaffe and Allyn Stewart. The screenplay is by Paula Milne, whose credits include the acclaimed British series "The Politician's Wife," and Susan Shilliday, whose films include "Legends Of The Fall."

Filmed on location in Africa and Italy, "I Dreamed of Africa" also stars Academy AwardÒ -winning actress Eva Marie Saint as Kuki's aristocratic mother and Liam Aiken ("Stepmom") as her adventurous young son. Garrett Strommen, Daniel Craig, Lance Reddick and Ian Roberts co-star.

Director Hugh Hudson has reunited a talented team of creative professionals for "I Dreamed of Africa," all of whom have worked with the director before: director of photography Bernard Lutic, production designer Andrew Sanders, editor Scott Thomas and costume designer Shirley Russell.

"At first look, Africa appears to be the Garden Of Eden," says Hudson, who has made movies, documentaries and television commercials on the continent. "What Kuki learns is that Eden does not exist in nature. We create our own Eden."

In 1994, the wife of prolific, OscarÒ -winning film producer Stanley R. Jaffe suggested he read a book titled I Dreamed of Africa. Melinda Jaffe told him of the work's power and poetry. When he failed to respond, she urged, then pleaded. "Ultimately, she absolutely insisted," Jaffe remembers.

Finally, the producer of such respected films as "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Fatal Attraction," "Goodbye, Columbus," "The Accused" and "The Bad News Bears" opened I Dreamed of Africa and became immersed in the extraordinary odyssey. Published by Viking in 1991 and Penguin Books in 1992, its opening page bears a John Keats quote: "A hope beyond the shadow of a dream..." What comes next is an astonishing chronicle of one woman's remarkable existence—a tale of amazing adventures, romance, deep love, excruciating pain, premonitions, loneliness, laughter… and starting over.

"I became engrossed in the story," Jaffe recounts. "Reading it on an airplane, I came to a certain chapter that touched me profoundly—fans of the book will know exactly the pages I’m referring to. I began to cry as I hadn't in a long time—so much so that the gentleman next to me became rather uncomfortable—and I knew then that I wanted to bring this saga to the screen."

For her part, when she sat down to write I Dreamed of Africa, Kuki Gallmann had no intention of seeing her story turned into a Hollywood movie. She didn’t even plan to have it published. Writing was a kind of therapy for Gallmann, not a means to a glamorous or lucrative end.

"People in the United States go a lot to psychoanalysts and they talk," says Gallmann. "I also talk—all Italians talk—but in general, the empty page is my psychoanalyst."

Ironically, it was Gallmann who was the first hurdle to producing the film. "I was told that she had steadfastly rejected all offers to splash her life across the screen," says Jaffe. "I understood, of course, that it would be difficult to see such an intensely personal drama interpreted for the world to see. In 1995, however, we finally met, and a scheduled brief meeting turned into a three-hour conversation. She subsequently used her international network to check me out and, slowly, she came around."

Jaffe's second big hurdle was the collective naysaying of influential people in the film business. "Many thought the book was simply too sad," the producer recalls. "But I firmly believed in its positive, inspirational and uplifting message that the one thing life always offers is hope.

"I have rarely made a picture that was easy to get before the public. With 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' I was told nobody wanted to see a movie about divorce. With 'Goodbye, Columbus,' they asked who would pay to see a picture about two Jewish kids. As for 'Fatal Attraction,' people wouldn't want to see a movie in which a man cheats on his wife in the first ten minutes of the film. With 'The Accused,' who would buy a story about rape?"

All of the aforementioned films did exceptionally well at the boxoffice, Jaffe believes, "because people respond to specificity in movies. They don't want bland generalizations. Our lives are all about specificity. We recognize and respond to pain, just as we do to ecstasy and all the other specifics of the human experience—particularly hope."

After the film rights were secured, Jaffe, producer Allyn Stewart and screenwriter Paula Milne flew to Ol Ari Nyiro, Gallmann's 100,000-acre cattle ranch in the breathtaking Laikipia region of Kenya. It was this sprawling landscape that spurred Kuki’s understanding of and passion for African culture and wildlife conservation. "It’s one of the most beautiful spots on earth," says Stewart of the ranch. "We spent two weeks with Kuki, then traveled Kenya absorbing aspects of her life and the land she loves so passionately. Our goal was to accurately capture the spirit of the woman and her extraordinary life. By the time we left, we had the film's story structure worked out."

When director Hugh Hudson, Academy AwardÒ -winning actress Kim Basinger and international screen star Vincent Perez decided they were up to the daunting challenge of difficult months on hot, remote African locations, then a rapid move to wintertime in Venice, the project shifted into high gear. Offices were staffed in Johannesburg, Venice, London, Hollywood, New York and Hluhluwe, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Bernard Lutic came from France to serve as director of photography. From England came production designer Andrew Sanders, costume designer Shirley Russell and editor Scott Thomas.

"Kuki Gallmann's story is a wonderful, true, courageous life journey," says Basinger, explaining her decision to do the movie. "After reading her book, I was compelled to put my fears aside and follow her. I just said, 'I have to go there.'"

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Almost five years after his initial meeting with Gallmann, Stanley Jaffe, along with Allyn Stewart and director Hugh Hudson, found himself at a hauntingly lonely, decrepit farmhouse set constructed near a spot called Hluhluwe (pronounced something like Schlew-SCHLEW-we) in the shadow of the Lubombo Mountains, surrounded by a busy film crew assembled from around the world and cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe and elephant observing from a discreet distance.

Principal photography on "I Dreamed of Africa" began in late August of 1998. South Africa's rich vein of acting talent was mined by the casting directors to fill supporting roles. In addition to the Tony-winning Winston Ntshona, other prominent performers appearing in the movie include Ian Roberts, Connie Chiume, James Ngcobo, Nick Boraine, Susan Danford and John Carson.

With much of the immediate surroundings in a state of uncertainty and turmoil, people began to realize that making "I Dreamed of Africa" would be an arduous task. Hugh Hudson admits, "I enjoy directing pieces about people hammering out their lives in difficult environments. And, for some reason, I seem to thrive working in hard surroundings. In that regard, Africa did not disappoint."

Hudson, who also directed "Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes," elaborates: "Africa is truly blessed, unspoiled and intriguing. But it is also harsh and wild. Despite the beauty, it isn't paradise. You curse it, but it draws you back if you are strong enough.

"It is a land blatantly about life, death and rebirth," continues Hudson. "Certainly, that is what it became for Kuki. Her life is besieged by drama and tragedy. She even faces the ultimate challenge—the loss of loved ones. Yet she finds the courage to deal with the blows and not only survive, but flourish. She learns that you can't possibly plan a perfect life, and that if you wait for the pain to cease, you lose the chance to live.

"Very little went the way she envisioned, yet she came to terms with circumstances and blossomed," continues Hudson. "While some people dissolve under great strain, the real Kuki Gallmann provides inspiration as she continues to live in hope and accomplishment. Loss is inevitable, but she demonstrates that survival is possible."

In the film, the pampered newcomer to Africa is warned that this is no place for amateurs. She will be isolated and will regularly face awesome challenges in a land that runs on a different rhythm. Kuki's genteel life in Venice never prepared her for speaking Swahili, or having her dogs and cattle killed by wild animals, or facing down an elephant destroying her prized vegetable garden, or wrestling an enormous, deadly snake. She didn’t expect to be congratulated on merely staying alive for another day.

Nor is she prepared for frequently being left alone by a loving husband immersed in his own compelling African adventure. Often on her own for weeks at a time, she must know how to light the lamps, drive the tractor, fix the plumbing, fight off the lions and defend her land against poachers.

Of her new life on Ol Ari Nyiro, the Gallmanns’ sprawling ranch in Kenya, she says, "We say we run this place, but we don't. It runs us."

The set of "I Dreamed of Africa" could have been described the same way. On any given day, between 200 and 300 people were on the "I Dreamed of Africa" team. These included not only South African film technicians, but many local residents. The company provided a welcome injection of employment for the remote area and enriched the coffers of nearby businesses. An entire community of tents, buses and campers sprang up around location headquarters—the Shaka Zulu Heritage Hotel—located on a dusty, bumpy road outside tiny Hluhluwe.

In addition to the ubiquitous camera crew, grips, electricians, prop people, costumers and hairdressers, there were job categories not generally represented on movie sets. A coach in the Swahili language was required, as well as snake handlers and five people to staff the ‘greens’ department. Around 130 vehicles—including trucks, motorcycles and tractors—were assembled, as well as the drivers to drive them and the mechanics to keep them all running on the treacherous roads. Dozens of portable toilets were shipped in, as well as a medical staff larger than some clinics employ. Animal experts were present to remind the set dressers that a particular vegetable must not be in Kuki's garden if elephants are to be present (elephants are not pleasant to be around after they ingest cabbage).

Two large, nearly identical structures were constructed on the set. One served as the dilapidated, abandoned home Kuki, Paolo and Emanuele occupy on the ranch they buy in Kenya. The other was a remodeled, decorated and enlarged version of the same building, surrounded by greenery. For set dressing for the adjacent shed, the art department staged contests with reward money at local schools to obtain children's drawings of birds and snakes.

"Problems arose that we never contemplated," producer Allyn Stewart remembers. "For instance, once in a while you're delayed because an actor is ill. But we actually were slowed one day because a baby python was too sick to film."

For some cast members, the challenges provided a learning experience. "I think I matured while in Africa," says Vincent Perez. "You discover the nature in yourself and learn to value less the things society has taught us are important. You focus more on the present. I can tell you that when you're in front of a lion, you are in the present time!"

When filming wrapped in Africa, "I Dreamed of Africa" moved to Italy, with additional photography in Kenya. Locations in Italy included Venice, the adjacent Lido di Venezia, historic areas in and around the small towns of Asolo and Castelfranco and the city of Vicenza.

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For actress Kim Basinger, making the motion picture was in many ways a replication of Kuki Gallmann's challenging adventure. While becoming acclimated to the harsh, daunting African experience, she had to handle tractors, snakes and reluctant horses, spend hours in a searing dust storm and co-exist on camera with big, dangerous animals. "Had you told me ever in my life I would wrestle a 13-foot python," exclaims Basinger, "I'd have said you were insane."

Director Hugh Hudson explains, "Kim is in every scene but two. It was really a grueling schedule fraught with emotional and physical hardship. She handled it with remarkably consummate professionalism and good cheer."

Basinger, a 1998 Academy AwardÒ winner for "L.A. Confidential," explains, "While we were simply making a movie and Kuki was shaping a life, our experience in some small way replicated hers. Like her, I felt strongly about going to Africa."

Calling a separation from her "unthinkable" and wanting her to experience the rare wonders of Africa, Basinger brought daughter Ireland along. "I had awful fears about taking my young child into an unknown and dangerous environment. There were many sleepless nights before the trip, and they continued after we arrived. Your fears are elementary—protecting yourself and your loved ones from spiders in the living room, deadly snakes on the porch, poisonous frogs and warthogs in the yard.

"You're kept off balance by the dramatic extremes in the weather: the winds, the hail, the heat, the cold, the downpours and lightning," adds Basinger. "The unexpected becomes expected. Some days there was no water. Other times, there was no communication with the outside world. There was such a sense of isolation at first and worries about things we take for granted, like rapid medical care."

The constant language barrier was also a challenge. "We had to learn to trust people we've never known," says the actress. "I came to face fears I never knew I had.

"And, then," Basinger recounts, "you begin to trust your instincts. You glimpse the bigger picture. You grow to cherish the magnificent mystery of Africa and the nobility of the wildlife. Every day brought new experiences. Even the most difficult days became simply phenomenal. You inhale the life there, and you are never the same again. There is something you hand over to Africa, but you receive so much in return.

"So in a small way, we experienced what Kuki Gallmann did when she moved to the continent. Her spirit will always be an inspiration to me."

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Kuki Gallmann's experiences have touched millions. She and Paolo set out to open up their lives, engage in self-discovery and find a new way of living. During the journey, she is touched by love, grief, laughter and achievement. While never resigned to sorrow, she learns a flat acceptance in the face of death and loss, only to discover and develop new passions. She fights through loneliness and rage to a newfound sense of wonder and purpose in Africa.

Ultimately, Kuki comes to realize not only that she is the current trustee of a certain chunk of Africa, but that all life on that land is her concern, her responsibility. Her husband's words echo: "We let the poachers know we will not allow them here. Ever."

New challenges arise, and life goes on for the enduring Kuki Gallmann. In 1987, she started the Gallmann Memorial Foundation, dedicated to the harmonious co-existence of humans and the wild. With the renowned Richard Leaky, she was instrumental in a now-widespread campaign to prevent the slaughter of elephants and rhinos. She and her surviving child, Sveva, continue to call the now-famous Ol Ari Nyiro Ranch home, and more than 1,000 schoolchildren visit it every year. She has also had a second book published, titled African Nights.

"Reading Kuki's book," says Kim Basinger, "brought me closer to Africa than even my previous visits had. Though it takes place in a magnificent setting, hers is such a human story. Like each of us, she has experienced the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the ugly and the beautiful. Admittedly, her experiences in Africa have been on a grand scale, but there is so much with which we can identify. As a wife and mother, she had intense fears and dreams. Her concerns for the environment and for wildlife particularly attracted me.

"On a personal level, she is an individual with dreams and the fortitude to pursue them," continues Basinger. "She had a drive to find her place in this life, the place where she could be happy and useful and comfortable.

"It's difficult to follow our dreams, and so many never try," says the actress, who spoke of dreams coming true as she accepted the Academy AwardÒ in 1998.

"I'm not certain I could handle the incredible losses Kuki suffered," producer Stanley R. Jaffe concedes. "I am in awe that she survived, and does still. However, this is not by any means a story of tragedy. It is an indelible, uplifting triumph. So many books and movies are ‘coming of age’ stories. This, on the other hand, is a ‘coming of being’ story."

"She learns to stand firm—that if things come too close, one musn't run. It's a lesson that serves her well in light of the tragedy that strikes," says Allyn Stewart. "Finally, she manages what many people never do. She becomes accomplished at being alone. She is constantly put to the test, and she always comes back with determination."

Vincent Perez, who stars opposite Basinger, relates, "This is like so many great stories and good fairy tales in that it takes characters to a strange new world, throws all sorts of obstacles at them and sees how they manage. Kuki and Paolo are two unique characters who want to restart their lives, leave behind everything comfortable and discover a new way, and they have the strength to follow their dream."

Perez, who also starred in "The Crow: City Of Angels," adds, "Of course, 'I Dreamed of Africa' is about love and adventure, but I see it as a film about cycles. There are so many endings and beginnings for Kuki. Africa is fueled by cycles. Animals die; trees die; people die. Everything is hopelessly brown. Then the torrential rains come and, quickly, it turns green, and there is new life."

Africa served as more than a location for this production—it was its soul. "It is a very moody place, and you have to learn acceptance and humility if you are to survive there. You cannot change Africa," says Perez, "but it will change you."

Kim Basinger stars as Kuki Gallmann, who faced Africa's ferocious challenges without restraint. "I Dreamed of Africa" marks her first motion picture since winning the 1998 Academy AwardÒ as Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "L. A. Confidential." She recently completed another new feature, "Bless The Child," slated for release this fall.

She has appeared in more than 20 feature films, making her big screen starring debut opposite Robert Redford in "The Natural."

Basinger's credits include the blockbuster "Batman;" the sensual thriller "9 ½

Weeks;" "No Mercy" and "Final Analysis," both with Richard Gere; "Ready To Wear" ("Pret a Porter") and "Fool For Love," both directed by Robert Altman; and "The Marrying Man" and "The Getaway," opposite husband Alec Baldwin. Her other movies include "Blind Date," opposite Bruce Willis; "Cool World," with Brad Pitt; "The Real McCoy," with Val Kilmer; and "Nadine," opposite Jeff Bridges.

In addition to the Motion Picture Academy Of Arts and Sciences’ prestigious OscarÒ , she was honored with a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA nomination in England for "L. A. Confidential." The film version of James Ellroy 's classic crime novel of the same title earned a total of nine Academy AwardÒ nominations.

Basinger divides her time between New York and Los Angeles and is active in conservation and other social causes.

Vincent Perez portrays Paolo, Kuki's partner in this passionate adventure. Before his American movie debut starring in "The Crow: City Of Angels," the actor made a name for himself on the international screen in a number of important films.

He gained a worldwide following acting with Gérard Depardieu in "Cyrano De Bergerac" and with Catherine Deneuve in the 1993 OscarÒ -winning "Indochine." He also starred in "Capitaine Fracasse," "Fanfani" and the Cannes prize-winning "La Reine Margot" ("Queen Margot") with Isabelle Adjani.

Born to a German mother and a Spanish father in Switzerland, Perez studied acting in Geneva, then transferred to Paris for further studies at the esteemed Paris Conservatory and L'Ecole des Amandiers in Naterre. While still in school, he made his screen debut in "Gardien De Nuit" and later co-starred with Jacqueline Bisset in "La Maison De Jade."

In 1992, he was awarded the Prix Jean Gabin. That same year, he made his directing debut with the short film "L'Echange." He has appeared in over 20 motion pictures, primarily French films. They include the legendary Michelangelo Antonioni's last picture "Beyond The Clouds," "Life Line" and a 1998 Cannes Film Festival hit "Ceux Qui M'Aiment Prend Le Train" ("Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train").

In addition to "The Crow: City Of Angels," he starred in TriStar Pictures’ "Swept From The Sea" and HBO Pictures’ "Shot Through The Heart," the true drama of best friends forced to fight to the death when war breaks out in Sarajevo. His increasing profile in the United States propelled him to a spot in People's "50 Most Beautiful People" issue.

Perez's performance in the swashbuckler "Le Bossu" recently brought him a César Award nomination in France.

Eva Marie Saint portrays Kuki's cultured Italian mother, Franca. The motion picture, stage and television star was honored with an Academy AwardÒ for her first film, "On The Waterfront," and went on to star in such movies as "A Hatful of Rain," "That Certain Feeling," "Raintree County," "Exodus," "North By Northwest," "All Fall Down," "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" "Grand Prix," "The Stalking Moon," "Loving" and "Nothing In Common."

Saint grew up in Delmar, New York, and attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio, intending to become a schoolteacher. After trying out for a school play on a dare, she won the leading role and has been acting ever since. The University recently honored her with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts and renamed its main campus theatre The Eva Marie Saint Theatre.

Upon graduation, she went to New York City and studied at The American Theatre Wing and with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio. Launching her career during the golden age of live television, she was Emmy-nominated for several memorable television presentations and moved to Broadway in "The Trip To Bountiful." Elia Kazan saw her in the play, which led to her first film, "On The Waterfront" with Marlon Brando, and the coveted OscarÒ .

In 1990, on her fifth nomination, she won an Emmy for the miniseries "People Like Us." Her many TV appearances include playing Cybill Shepherd's mother on the "Moonlighting" series, "The Titanic" miniseries, "Time To Say Goodbye," "Fatal Vision," "When Hell Was In Session," "The Last Days Of Patton," "The Achille-Lauro Affair," "Best Little Girl In The World" "Where's Jimmy?" and "My Antonia." She also starred in three memorable holiday specials: "A Christmas To Remember," "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Breaking Home Ties."

In addition to "The Trip To Bountiful," the Broadway production that brought her the Drama Critics Award and Outer Circle Critics Award, she starred on the New York stage in "The Lincoln Mask" and "Duet For One," and on major stages across America in plays by Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill.

Saint and her husband, director Jeffrey Hayden, produced for PBS the critically acclaimed television documentary "Primary Colors: The Story Of Corita," which she narrated. They also co-produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary "Children In America's Schools" with Bill Moyers for PBS.

Liam Aiken plays the young Emanuele, Kuki's beloved son and Paulo's boy every way but genetically. Born in New York City, the ten-year-old, third grade student is a seasoned pro with a major Broadway credit who marks his sixth film role with "I Dreamed of Africa."

He co-starred in Columbia Pictures' hit "Stepmom," playing the son of Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris and Julia Roberts' stepson. In 1998, he acted in "The Object Of My Affection," starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd as the latter's pupil; and as Parker Posey's son in "Henry Fool." He also appears in two films unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival, "I Remember" and "Montana."

Additionally, he was Bobby Helmer in the multi-award-winning Broadway production of "A Doll's House." His television debut was in an episode of "Law & Order."

Aiken’s next project is the upcoming Warner Brothers feature "Sweet November," co-starring with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.

Lance Reddick plays Simon, who becomes the Gallmanns' trusted helper. The Baltimore-born actor studied composition at the prestigious Eastman School Of Music in Rochester, New York, and acting at the Yale Drama School.

Transferring to New York, his first job was understudy for the Broadway production of "Angels In America." He next acted for one year in the successful Anne Meara off-Broadway production of "After Play." Other stage credits include the Central Park production of "Henry V," "On House" at the WPA, where he played an ex-convict janitor, and most recently the Guthrie Theatre production of "Julius Caesar," in which he played Mark Antony.

"I Dreamed of Africa" is his third film, following his debut as cultured art collector Anton Le Farge in "Great Expectations" and his portrayal of FBI agent Floyd Rose in "The Siege." In the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production titled "What The Deaf Man Heard," he was seen as James Earl Jones' son.

Reddick can currently be seen as Detective Willis Simms in the new CBS series "Falcone" and as medical examiner M.E. Taylor on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He will next be seen in the upcoming HBO miniseries "The Corner."

Garrett Strommen is the bright, teenaged Emanuele, who has grown strong like Kuki's passion for Africa. The 17-year-old marks his professional acting debut in "I Dreamed of Africa" after being selected over hundreds of hopefuls from various nations.

Strommen has been active in school plays most of his life. He even learned lines in Italian for a play before he spoke the language when his family moved from the U. S. to Rome. His father is currently dean of a university in Italy, and his mother is an artist and teacher. He plans to attend college in Rome and at New York University.

British actor Daniel Craig plays the Gallmanns’ land manager, Declan Fielding. While filming "I Dreamed of Africa," he was honored as Best Actor at the 1998 Edinburgh Film Festival for his performance in the motion picture "Love Is The Devil."

His film credits include "Love And Rage," "Elizabeth" and "Obsession." He has appeared in a number of popular British television shows seen in the United States, among them "The Icehouse," "Moll Flanders," "Kiss And Tell" and "Our Friends In The North." His impressive stage credentials include major roles in "Hurlyburly" at the Peter Hall Company of Old Vic and "Angels In America" at the National Theatre.

Ian Roberts, one of South Africa's most popular stars, is cast as the Gallmanns’ nearest, though distant, neighbor. His many movies include "Cry, The Beloved Country," "The Power Of One," "Sweepers" and the telefilm "Mandela And de Klerk." He is widely recognized for starring roles in "Cape Rebel" (seen elsewhere as "Arende"), "Cecil John Rhodes," "Daisy De Melker" and the Zulu series "Inkom Edla Yodwa." He has received South Africa's Star Tonight, Artes, Dalro, AA Vita and MNET awards, as well as the Rapport Award for most popular actor in advertising.

Director Hugh Hudson's astonishing feature film debut with

the Academy AwardÒ -honored "Chariots Of Fire" followed an extremely successful career as a creator of international award-winning documentaries and television commercials.

The director was born in England, raised in London, Shropshire and Scotland.

Following compulsory military service, Hudson entered the film industry in 1962. Moving to Paris, he worked as an editor in a French documentary film company. After two years of helping create documentaries, he returned to London and formed The Cammell-Hudson Film Company, which soon became one of the most successful production houses of the highly creative l960s. Cammell-Hudson's documentary "A Is For Apple" received a Screenwriters Guild Award, and its "Tortoise And Hare" won a BAFTA nomination and First Prize at the Venice Documentary Film Festival.

In 1970, Hudson teamed with Ridley Scott and, for the next five years, dazzled viewers with imaginative, fluid, elegant commercials that won most of the industry's international honors.

Forming Hudson Film in 1975 and sharing offices with filmmaker Alan Parker, he produced and directed for the next 20 years, making commercials, feature films and election campaign films for the New British Labour Party. In 1976, he directed the feature-length film biography of Fangio, the great five-time world race champion. "Fangio" was a popular success throughout Europe and South America.

He repeatedly rejected offers to direct feature motion pictures, simply stating that he would wait "for a project I believe in." After working as second unit director with director-friend Alan Parker on "Midnight Express," he was introduced by David Puttnam to an early script treatment of "Chariots Of Fire." Hugh Hudson knew he had found a project he believed in. The movie brought the director a 1982 Academy AwardÒ nomination and won both the American and British Film Academy AwardsÒ as Best Picture, plus U. S. OscarsÒ for its original screenplay, music and costume design. Its record of achievement includes additional Academy AwardÒ nominations for Film Editing and Best Supporting Actor. Ian Holm won Best Supporting Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and the picture was judged Best Foreign Film in the Golden Globe competition. In the United Kingdom, it earned nine BAFTA nominations. The film starred Ian Holm, Ben Cross, Ian Charleston and Nigel Havers.

His next motion picture was the large-scale production of "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes," which he produced and directed. It was honored with U. S. Academy AwardÒ nominations for Best Makeup, Best Supporting Actor (Ralph Richardson) and Best Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium. Released in 1984, it introduced Christopher Lambert and Andie MacDowell to the cinema. The epic film received the BFI Technical Achievement Award.

In 1985, he directed "Revolution" starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland and Nastassja Kinski. It earned the BFI Anthony Asquith Award for Music. In 1989, he directed "Lost Angels" starring Adam Horowitz and Donald Sutherland. In 1995, he directed a section of "Lumiere And Company," a creative film documentary celebrating the cinema's centenary. Prior to traveling to Africa and Italy for "I Dreamed of Africa," Hudson directed the critically acclaimed "My Life So Far" in Scotland in association with his "Chariots Of Fire" partner David Puttnam.

"I Dreamed of Africa" reflects a recurring film theme of Hudson's—depicting the inherent nobility of humans against the pressures of compromise and expediency, usually set against hostile environments and monumental landscapes.

Producer Stanley R. Jaffe is an Academy AwardÒ -winning filmmaker with Jaffilms offices in New York and Hollywood. With an impressive track record in both the creative and management aspects of the entertainment industry, his string of notable films demonstrates that motion pictures can be at once thought-provoking and commercially successful.

Jaffe has produced or co-produced 14 major films, among them "Goodbye, Columbus," "The Bad News Bears," the Academy AwardÒ -winning Best Picture "Kramer Vs. Kramer," "Taps," "The Accused," "Black Rain" and "Fatal Attraction," nominated for an Academy AwardÒ as Best Picture. Prior to shooting "I Dreamed of Africa" on African and Italian locations in 1998, he was executive producer on the popular film "Madeline," which he made for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Jaffe's other motion picture productions include "School Ties," "Firstborn," "Bad Company" and "Racing With The Moon."

Additionally, he produced and directed the feature film "Without A Trace" in 1983.

After graduating from the Wharton School with a B.S. in economics and marketing, Jaffe joined the Seven Art Corporation as a writer, producer and director of television programs.

While still in his 20s, he launched his filmmaking career producing the hit "Goodbye, Columbus." Soon after, at the age of 29, he was named president of Paramount Pictures and Television, the youngest major studio chief in history. During his tenure, Paramount released a series of hits, among them "The Godfather" and "Love Story."

At 35, he became head of worldwide production for Columbia Pictures. Notable among the studio's successes under Jaffe was "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind." In 1971, he returned to independent production and in 1982 founded Jaffe/Lansing Productions.

From 1991 through mid-1994, he was president and chief operating officer of Paramount Communications, overseeing the operations of all corporate divisions, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, Simon & Schuster Publishing, Paramount Parks and Madison Square Garden. During his second stint at Paramount, the studio released such pictures as "Forrest Gump" and "Clear And Present Danger."

He subsequently formed Jaffilms LLC, which currently has ten motion picture projects in various phases of development and production.

Producer Allyn Stewart, Stanley R. Jaffe's associate in Jaffilms, has a comprehensive background in motion picture production, distribution and marketing. Her entertainment career began at 20th Century Fox's London offices. She became a production vice president at TriStar Pictures, then moved to Warner Bros. in Los Angeles, where she spent six years as a senior executive responsible for the production of such films as the 1989 Academy AwardÒ -winning "Driving Miss Daisy," "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Memphis Belle."

In 1990, she formed Stewart Pictures at TriStar, producing the television movie "Friends At Last," starring Kathleen Turner, and the feature film "Bliss," starring Terence Stamp. Most recently, she produced "Madeline" for TriStar Pictures in Paris with executive producer Stanley R. Jaffe. Based on a series of popular children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans about a courageous little redheaded heroine, it starred Frances McDormand.

The California-born Stewart first discovered Africa when, as a teenager, she explored and camped there with Ian Player's Wilderness Leadership School. Her knowledge of the area was invaluable in finding filming sites for "I Dreamed of Africa" that matched Kuki Gallmann's vivid descriptions of her beloved Africa.

Screenwriter Paula Milne is one of Britain's leading screenwriters. Paramount among her credits is the highly acclaimed "The Politician's Wife," a dramatic serial honored with the Emmy, BAFTA, Writers Guild, George Foster Peabody and WFTV Creativity Awards, among others. She also wrote the BAFTA and BANFF Award-winning "The Fragile Heart," which starred Nigel Hawthorne.

Also for television, she wrote "Die Kinder," a six-part political thriller starring Miranda Richardson; "Chandler & Co.," "Driving Ambition," "Frankie And Johnnie," "C.Q." "John David," "The Gemini Factor," "Swalk" and "Second Sight."

Three of Milne's screenplays have been produced as feature motion pictures: "The Hollow Reed" for Scala/C4, Touchstone's "Mad Love" and, now, Columbia Pictures' "I Dreamed of Africa."

She has adapted Daphne Du Maurier's "My Cousin Rachel" for the screen among several other current projects.

Screenwriter Susan Shilliday wrote multiple episodes of the innovative, award-winning television series "thirtysomething." She also wrote the feature film "Legends Of the Fall," starring Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn.

Director of photography Bernard Lutic continues a nearly 30-year collaboration with British director Hugh Hudson, which began with "Midnight Express" and continued to include "Revolution" and "My Life So Far." Cinematographer on 52 motion pictures, his primarily French film credits during the current decade include "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea," "The King Of Paris," "The Imposters," "Time Is Money," "Colonel Chabert," "Sweetheart," "Dien Bien Phu," "A Day To Remember" and "One Summer Night In Town."

Lutic’s other credits include "Return Of The Musketeers," "Prisonnieres," "Boyfriends And Girlfriends," "Angel Dust," "Dandin," "Leave All Fair," "Viva La Vie!" "Going And Coming Back," "Un Jeu Brutal," "At First Sight," "L' Honneur d'un Capitaine," "A Good Marriage," "Men Prefer Fat Girls," "Deux Lions Au Soleil," "The Aviator's Wife," "This Age Without Pity" and, for television, "Riviera."

Production designer Andrew Sanders is part of the British contingent on "I Dreamed of Africa." He previously was associated with director Hugh Hudson as art director on "Chariots Of Fire."

Sanders most recently served as production designer on "The Golden Bowl," directed by James Ivory. Sanders' other films as production designer include "All The Little Animals," "K2," "The Witches," "Castaway," "The Hit" and "Robinson Crusoe." He was supervising art director on "King Lear," "Wings Of The Dove," "Surviving Picasso," "Sense And Sensibility," "Victory" and "Little Buddha."

He was supervising art director on "The Sheltering Sky" and art director on "The Last Temptation Of Christ," "The Last Place On Earth," "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," "Privates On Parade," "Starstruck," "Shock Treatment," "Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession," "Absolution" and "Quadrophenia." Prior to his film career, he worked extensively with many top directors on the British stage.

Costume designer Shirley Russell comes from the British film community as well. She was a 1982 Academy AwardÒ nominee for "Reds" and a 1980 nominee for "Agatha," for which she was also production designer. She was honored with the BAFTA for "Yanks" and for the special four-hour television presentation of "Gulliver's Travels," which also brought a 1996 Emmy nomination.

Among her movie credits are Hugh Hudson's "Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes," "Fairy Tale: A True Story," "Hope And Glory," "The Bride," "The Razor's Edge," "The Return Of The Soldier," "Lady Chatterley's Lover," "Cuba," "Valentino," "Tommy," "Mahler," "Savage Messiah," "The Boy Friend," "The Devils," "Women In Love," "The Music Lovers" and "Billion Dollar Brain."

Notable among Russell's costume designs for television, in addition to the widely honored "Gulliver's Travels," are "Clouds Of Glory," "Song Of Summer," "Dante's Inferno" and "Isadora Duncan, The Biggest Dancer In The World."

Editor Scott Thomas is American born and based in England. He was film editor on director Hugh Hudson's recent picture, "My Life So Far."

He holds a degree in architecture from Houston's Rice University, where he wrote and directed "Architecture Of The Petroleum Age," which won first place at the 1975 Motion Picture Academy Student Film Festival in Hollywood. He is a graduate of England's National Film And Television School, where he directed short films, including "Brainstorms," first-place winner at the 1982 National Student Film Festival in London.

Feature films edited by Thomas prior to "I Dreamed of Africa" and "My Life So Far" include "The Winter Guest," "Feverpitch," "Trojan Eddie," "Small Faces," "Afraid Of The Dark," "The Reflecting Skin," "Ladder Of Swords," "Just Ask For Diamond," "On The Black Hill" and "Coming Up Roses."

His television work includes the films "The Dying Of The Light," "Moving Story," "Smokescreen," "The Man Who Cried," "Lorna Doone," "The Works" and "And Pigs Might Fly."

Music for "I Dreamed of Africa" was created by three-time Academy AwardÒ winner Maurice Jarre. Often associated with composing music for sweeping spectacles, he has been honored with OscarsÒ for three collaborations with filmmaker David Lean: "Lawrence Of Arabia" in 1962, "Doctor Zhivago" in 1965 and "A Passage To India" in 1984. He has received six additional Academy AwardÒ nominations for his contributions to "Sundays And Cybele," "The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean," "Mohammad Messenger Of God," "Witness," "Gorillas In The Mist" and "Ghost."

Recipient of Golden Globe, Grammy and American Society Of Composers awards, he has written scores and songs for almost 120 motion pictures. They include "The Longest Day," "The Collector," "Grand Prix," "Is Paris Burning?" "Barbarella," "Isadora," "The Fixer," "The Damned," "Topaz," "Ryan's Daughter," "Plaza Suite," "The Only Game In Town," "The Effect Of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds," "The Spy Who Loved Me," "The Tin Drum," "Taps," "Young Doctors In Love," "The Mosquito Coast," "Fatal Attraction," "Gaby—A True Story," "Dead Poets Society," "Fearless" and "A Walk In The Clouds."