A Filmmaker on What it Takes to Spend Four Years With Lions

In our latest Ask an Expert Anything, wildlife cinematographer Sophie Darlington answered subscriber questions on how she broke into the industry, her creative tips for filming on a safari, and the scariest moment filming Lion.

Animals · Ask an Expert Anything · By National Geographic Staff · Published September 24, 2026 · 1 min read

Topics: Animal Discoveries, Animal Behaviors, Lion, Wildlife Photography, Filmmakers, Safari, Embedded Video, Ask an Expert Anything, Animals

These questions have been edited for length and clarity. Watch the extraordinary true story of a lion cub on his journey to become king in National Geographic's Lion, which is streaming on Disney+.