James Suter

Today, on Endangered Species Day, we take a moment to highlight species that are under threat across the world. Some still exist in healthy pockets, while others are on the brink of extinction. Every animal has a role to play within its ecosystem, and the health of those ecosystems affects all of us on a global scale. From vultures helping control disease to elephants shaping the land around them, the absence of these animals is often only truly felt once they are gone. We all share a responsibility towards the health of this planet, our home. If future generations are to have any chance of seeing gorillas, rhinos, and other endangered species in the wild, we need to work together. Whether through big actions or small ones, every action has an impact on the future.

Male lions have small keratin spines on their penises. During mating, these help stimulate the female and can trigger ovulation. Lions, like other felids are induced ovulators, meaning ovulation only happens after mating. Lion mating can look intense because it is very fast and repeated many times in a short period, sometimes dozens of times in a day. This helps increase the chance of successful fertilisation in the wild. What looks aggressive is actually a natural reproductive strategy shaped by evolution, not just pain or violence. If you have witnessed this in the wild, you can count yourself pretty lucky. Captured while on safari in Botswana 🇧🇼

Mothers. In every corner of our world, there is this quiet thread: love, protection, teaching, comforting, carrying, guiding. A mother elephant waiting for her calf. A bird feeding hungry mouths. A woman holding her child while she works. A hand on a shoulder. A glance. A presence. So much of motherhood happens in the in-between moments that often go unnoticed. The constant giving. The worry. The intuition. The softness. The strength. Today we celebrate mothers in all forms - human and wild - and the deep instinct to nurture, protect, and love. Happy Mother’s Day ❤️

Five years of filming. Five years of questions. What started as a small, self-funded project grew into something much bigger than we expected. Over that time, we’ve kept returning to Knysna, learning about the forest, its elephants, and the history connected to both. We’re now in the final stages of completing the film.�We need your support to finish it. Support via the link in bio.�#FundAFilm #ElephantAlone

The Knysna elephant’s story is a haunting one. Once part of a herd, now only one remains. This film follows that journey of loss, survival, and what it means when a whole population is reduced to a single individual. But beyond the tragedy, there is something deeper here, a reflection for us. About how we live with nature, what we lose when connection is broken, and what it means to try and restore what once was. We’re in the final stages of completing this documentary and need your support to bring it into the world. Help us share this story. If you would like to support the project, link in my bio.

This story has quietly grown alongside our children. See how they transform from our first shoot through to our most recent (I am pregnant in the last image). What began as a documentary became part of family life. Long drives, forest walks, conversations around dinner tables, and years of hearing about one elephant who still moves through the Knysna forest. They’ve grown up with this story. They ask questions about her. Wonder where she is. Talk about what it all means. One of the sweetest things has been hearing Gracie casually use the words “local extinction” in conversation. And Tom draw his own book of “what happened to all the elephants”. Elephant Alone has become part of their childhood, and part of how they understand the natural world. We’ve carried this story for years, and we’re now working toward the final chapter. You can be a part of this and help us finish the film via the link in bio. And when we get there we would love to see you as screenings! And thank you in person. Huge thank you to everyone that has supported us so far! It is humbling. Donate via the link in my bio. @elephantalone @jamessuter @oli_caldow @connect.foundation @blackbeanproductions #ElephantAlone #FundAFilm

Over the past 10+ years of filmmaking, we have had the privilege of documenting projects across Southern and East Africa, working alongside NGOs, rangers, and local communities. From rewilding efforts with keystone species to reforestation initiatives, we have seen how small actions can grow into something much bigger over time. Reconnecting landscapes through wildlife corridors, and giving animals the space to move freely, can slowly bring ecosystems back into balance. On Earth Day 2026, we’re reminded that these efforts take time, but they matter. Through storytelling, we hope to continue sharing these projects and the people behind them, helping to raise awareness for work that will shape the future of these wild spaces for generations to come. #EarthDay

One of the hardest things in filmmaking, especially when we started @blackbeanproductions - but even now, is the cost. And the misunderstanding around it. Most people don’t make films, so it’s completely understandable. But it can still be tough when the reality of what it takes to create something properly comes as a surprise. We always try to meet our clients where we can, while still holding onto the standard we believe in. Elephant Alone is a passion project. It began when I read about a “ghost herd” of elephants in the Knysna forest. I was shocked to learn that there were still free roaming elephants along the Garden Route, in that kind of terrain, in such an enchanting forest. But information was limited and often conflicting, almost as if the forest was holding onto its own mysteries. We knew we had to follow it. The story became about more than just elephants. It’s about history, decline, and the people connected to it all. Today, only one elephant remains. She is alone. And that is not natural. Female elephants stay with their herds for life. Our first shoot was in 2021. Gracie was just 9 months old and Tom still so small. Our most recent shoot included Jacob as a newborn. The passage of time lives inside this film, not just in the story, but in our children too. We’re now close to finishing. We have an assembly edit, but still need additional filming, a full edit, sound, online, and everything that comes with bringing a film properly to life - as well as entering festivals, and getting it seen. It’s a lot. And it’s costly. It feels hard to say, but we do need support to get this film across the line. This story feels like part of our shared history, South African and beyond. She is the southernmost elephant on the continent, living alone in one of the most beautiful forests in the world. If this story resonates with you, and you’d like to help us finish it, we would be incredibly grateful, no matter how small. We hope to bring you into it, through screenings, conversations, and the journey of this film. Donate via the link in my bio 🐘🎥♥️

Exciting news! We’ve spent years working on a story that quietly sits in the fabric of South Africa, one that many people don’t even know exists. Elephant Alone is about the last elephant in the Knysna forest. But it’s also about memory, loss, and witnessing our children come to understand the world around them, and become part of a story like this. It feels special, and bigger than us. We’ve worked on this documentary over many years, alongside raising our kids, carrying it through different seasons of life, always knowing it was a story we needed to finish properly. We’re now in the final stages of completing the film. And while it feels vulnerable to share this, we do need support to get it across the line, from final filming to edit and post. If this story resonates with you, and you feel called to help us bring it home, we would be incredibly grateful. Link below 👇 and in my bio to donate. https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/elephant-alone-fund-a-film #FundAFilm #elephantalone

Magical Kenya 🇰🇪

A young elephant responds after hearing his name during an interview at @herd_elephants an elephant orphanage in South Africa. 🎥 @jamessuter | @blackbeanproductions

If you were a fly on the wall during Black Bean shoots, especially in our behind-the-scenes moments, you’d find nonstop laughs and real value in the chaos. I’m incredibly grateful for the team I get to travel and explore this incredible continent with, the Black Bean Productions team and everyone who makes it what it is. They turn often challenging situations into something lighthearted and constantly remind us why we do what we do.