Local stories through the lens of Errol Geingob

Errol Geingob is a Namibian filmmaker, writer, director, cinematographer and editor. He is also a co-founder of Desert Film Productions, a company built on the belief that storytelling should be driven by passion and intention. Geingob has spent over two decades in the film and television industry, telling stories rooted in Namibian experiences, culture and everyday realities.

Geingob said his inspiration came from a deep fascination with how images communicate emotion without words.

“I was drawn to the power of light, composition and movement, and how a single frame can carry meaning, mood and memory," he said.

"Over time, I realised that cinematography allowed me to shape the emotional language of a story and guide how audiences feel and connect with characters."

Geingob has been in the film industry for more than 23 years, with his career beginning in the early 2000s.

One of the first significant projects he worked on was 'Tate Penda'.

In this production, he primarily served as the director and an actor, but he also stepped in to shoot several scenes when the director of photography had to attend a funeral and only joined the production midway through the shoot.

'Tate Penda' was a locally driven narrative production that focused on authentic Namibian stories and characters. Geingob described the experience as both challenging and exciting, noting that although resources were limited, the passion was immense.

Giving voice through film

Apart from working on set, Geingob also served as a lecturer at the College of the Arts (Cota).

Juggling both roles required discipline, passion and many late nights.

“Teaching at Cota kept me grounded and sharp, while working on film sets inspired me and kept me connected to the industry," he explained.

He added: "The two roles complemented each other: my practical expertise enriched my teaching, while teaching required me to regularly reflect on my own skills. It wasn’t easy, but it was greatly rewarding."

Visual storytelling is important to him because it gives a voice to the unheard, documents local realities, and inspires dialogue. Geingob believes images stay with people long after words fade, and that lasting impact is why visual storytelling matters so deeply to him.