When you see a film getting a 98% score on RottenTomatoes.com you can’t help but be intrigued…very intrigued.
Its description read: “Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales.” and most of the critics comments are also as passionate
Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald states “Blackfish is intended to rattle and provoke in the hopes of bringing about change.”
“Blackfish” is a disturbing movie, one that will make you rethink parks like SeaWorld and their value,” says Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic.
While Jeff Meyers of Metro Times Detroit posed this challenge to viewers; “If you’re not moved and angered by what you see in Blackfish, your heart is made of harder stuff than mine.”
Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the mulit-billion dollar sea-park industry.
“In the summer of 2010, Dawn Brancheau, a reknowned SeaWorld trainer, was killed by Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca. I remember fragments: something about a ponytail, something about her slipping and falling, something about how this almost never happens because in these parks, the animals are happy and the trainers are safe,” narrates Blackfish Director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
This intrigued Cowperthwaithe to look closer, “…Something wasn’t right. Why would a highly intelligent animal attack its trainer – in effect, bite the hand that feeds it?
“I set out to understand this incident not as an activist, but as a mother (who had just taken her kids to SeaWorld) and as a documentary filmmaker (who can’t let sleeping dogs lie).”
This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals.
“I went about my research respectfully. I strived to give every person involved a chance to talk (even if they declined.. repeatedly). I wasn’t setting out to produce an exposé, but rather a film where every perspective would be presented to achieve a greater understanding of animals and their human caretakers.”
“Thus began a journey of shock and discovery.”
Blackfish is Cowperthwaite’s second feature documentary and her first one at Sundance.
“I can’t say this was an easy film to make. There were nightmares, autopsy reports, sobbing interviewees, and miserable animals. But as I moved forward, I knew that in telling the story I was telling the truth. And in telling the truth, I had to show this billion dollar industry for what it was.”
“I hope you like the film. I don’t know if it will change the way you feel about animals in entertainment parks – I didn’t intend for it to do so. I do hope it gives you the tools to articulate how you feel about animals, our relationship with them, and what we want to teach our children about it.”
About the Filmmakers:
Gabriela Cowperthwaite is a documentary filmmaker who for more than 12 years has directed, produced and written documentary programs for television networks including ESPN, National Geographic, Animal Planet, Discovery, and the History Channel. In 2010, Cowperthwaite completed the award-winning feature-length documentary, City LAX: An Urban Lacrosse Story. The film chronicles the lives of six 12-year-olds in inner-city Denver, CO, as they and their families struggle through middle school in their gang-ridden neighborhoods. City LAX was acquired by ESPN and DirectTV.
In 2009, Cowperthwaite completed a film for UCLA International Medicine in conjunction with the International Rescue Committee, which focuses on clinics in war-torn regions, with the emphasis on providing ground-breaking medical care for victims of violence. It is being translated into three different languages and will be distributed in eight countries. Cowperthwaite is currently directing a campaign for Supply and Demand, a commercial directing agency based in New York and Los Angeles. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and six-year-old twin sons.
Manny Oteyza has produced a diverse body of work, from scripted shorts to documentary and fiction features. Prior to production for Blackfish, he produced Wayne Quinton: Engineering Life, a documentary for BYUtv; line produced Amazon Gold, a documentary short on the destruction of the Amazon; and a six-part webisode series, Solving for X with Bill Nye for Disney. Oteyza has also served as a producer, line producer, and field producer on series for television networks including National Geographic Channel, Military Channel, Discovery Channel, and the Travel Channel.
A Baltimore native, Judy Bart (Executive Producer) earned her B.A. from the University of Maryland, and traveled worldwide before settling in Los Angeles, where she met Blackfish co-executive producer Erica Kahn. When their children were grown, Bart and Kahn launched Our Turn Productions to produce films that would both enlighten and entertain. Blackfish is their first production.
Executive Producer Erica Kahn’s career has included work as a flight attendant, model, and mother of five, who range in age from 10 to 25. An avid film fan, Kahn launched Our Turn Productions with co-executive producer and longtime friend, Judy Bart, with the mission of making movies that both inspire and entertain. Blackfish is her first film. Kahn grew up in a small town in Minnesota.
BLACKFISH is now available in DVD and is distributed by Magnavision.
