Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
Subscribe
At a time when Africa’s image is still too often shaped by outsiders, Ethiopian filmmaker and wildlife photographer Leul Desalegn is part of a growing movement of African creatives reclaiming the narrative through their own lens.
Based in Ethiopia, Leul is a professional filmmaker and visual storyteller dedicated to showcasing the continent’s landscapes, wildlife, culture, and everyday beauty. Through his platform Explore Ethiopian, he documents Africa not as a destination of crisis, but as a place of wonder, diversity, and untapped global relevance.
Leul’s work spans national parks, remote villages, highlands, rivers, cities, and conservation spaces. From the Bale Mountains to Awash National Park, from Addis Ababa’s urban energy to untouched wildlife corridors, his visuals offer a rare perspective: Africa seen from within, not observed from afar.
“Visual storytelling is one of the most powerful tools Africa has right now,” Leul explains. “If we control the images, we control how the world understands us.”
More than content creation, his mission is strategic. Leul is actively working to promote Ethiopia and Africa as global destinations for tourism, investment, conservation, and cultural exchange. His work aligns with a broader continental shift where African creatives are becoming informal diplomats for their countries — shaping perception, driving curiosity, and building soft power through digital media.
In an era dominated by short-form video and visual platforms, Leul represents a new generation of African storytellers who understand that the future of Africa’s global brand will be built through images, not press releases.
Through film, photography, and immersive storytelling, Leul Desalegn is not just documenting nature. He is building a visual archive of Africa’s beauty, complexity, and potential — one frame at a time.
Leul Desalegn, Explore Ethiopian, Ethiopian filmmaker, African filmmaker, African photographer, wildlife photography Africa, visual storytelling Africa, Ethiopian tourism, African tourism, African creatives, African media, African storytelling, drone photography Africa, Ethiopian culture, Ethiopian wildlife, African landscapes, African content creators, African visual media, digital storytelling Africa, African filmmakers 2026, African influencers, Ethiopia national parks, Bale Mountains, Awash National Park, Addis Ababa culture, African conservation, African film industry, African photographers, African travel media, Africa digital media, African soft power, African representation, African identity, African tourism promotion, African filmmakers movement, African youth creatives, African drone pilot, African documentary, African storytelling platforms, African digital culture, African narratives, African global image, African filmmakers rising, Ethiopian visual media, African nature photography, African tourism branding, African cultural storytelling, African environmental media, African creative economy, African media leadership, African digital diplomacy, African travel storytelling, African culture promotion, African visual archive, African innovation, African storytelling future, African lens, African pride, African perspectives, African representation media, African filmmakers network, African cultural power, African content leadership, African media voices, African tourism development, African storytelling revolution
Related