Rwanda: Hollywood Star Michael Bay to Produce a Film On Rwandan Baby Gorilla

15 September 2025
The New Times (Kigali)
By Eliane Irakoze

Hollywood filmmaker Michael Bay has shared his remarkable experience behind naming a baby gorilla at the recent Kwita Izina ceremony in Kinigi, and revealed plans to produce a short film using footage he captured with his Nikon Z camera.

Bay was among namers of the 40 baby gorillas named during the 20th edition of Kwita Izina ceremony which took place on September 5. He named his baby gorilla "Umurage."

In a video he shared on his social media, the veteran American filmmaker recounted his visit to Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi and the awe-inspiring moment of encountering a silverback up close.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Bay (@michaelbay)

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"I used this camera at my baby naming ceremony. Not the type of baby you think. My baby resides in the Rwanda Volcanic National Park. The president called me to name my baby Gorilla. His name is "Umurage" and he is going to be a stud silverback one day.

ALSO: Kwita Izina: Meet celebs who will name baby gorillas

Michael Bay said that one Prosper, the head of the park, had guided him on a trek where they encountered a gorilla family. He noted that only about 650 gorillas remain in the wild, and among the ones they saw were a dominant silverback and a playful young male.

WATCH: Michael Bay, the award-winning American filmmaker behind blockbusters such as Bad Boys, The Rock, and Transformers, reflects on the experience of naming a baby gorilla at the 20th Kwita Izina Ceremony. : @MugwizaO /TNT pic.twitter.com/gDgdrrCWzu-- The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) September 5, 2025

"This is the real deal. My new Nikon Z was just two feet away from dad, mom, and baby 'Umurage', catching every detail. I've got a film coming soon with all the best footage we shot.

"I was honored to name a baby Gorilla. Rwanda is amazing at protecting these precious animals," he said.

ALSO READ: Kwita Izina: Stories behind this year's gorilla names

Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer born in Los Angeles. He is known for directing different big films including Bad Boys (1995) and its sequel Bad Boys II (2003), The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), the first five films in the Transformers film series, among others.

He is co-founder of the production house the Institute. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, a production house which has remade horror films.

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