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BLACKFISH tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. The film shows just how nature can get revenge on man when pushed to its limits.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Share this film. Give others a chance to experience this powerful documentary.
Support the Dawn Brancheau Foundation, created “in her honor to continue the legacy of the work important to Dawn during her life.”
Become a member of Save the Whales and learn about how you can help.
Support the Born Free Foundation. Educate yourself and enlighten others about animal captivity.
In this CNN essay, filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite relates her motivations.
“My hope is that we take the BLACKFISH momentum and use it to help evolve us out of animals for entertainment. These silly marine park tricks are of no social, educational or conservational value. We advocate, instead, for captive killer whales to be retired into sea sanctuaries where they can live out the rest of their lives in a dignified, sustainable manner.”
Read the Outside Magazine article that inspired the filmmaker.
SeaWord has filed a complaint to the U.S. Labor Department, accusing an official of “leaking confidential documents to the makers of BLACKFISH.”
Read more about their investigation on the New York Times.
“This substantial doc displays the genre at its most vital: telling a story for a subject incapable of voicing complaint.”
Read the full article on Pop Matters.
OFTEN A WOMAN
A set of documentaries directed by female filmmakers.
“For Dawn Brancheau, it all began with a dream. After watching the Shamu show as a child, she was so moved by the bond shared between the whales and their caretakers that she made it her life’s ambition to become a SeaWorld whale trainer.”
CNN reports on a California state legislator’s proposal to ban the captivity of killer whales for entertainment at SeaWorld.
PBS’s Frontline, “A Whale of a Business” includes viewer discussions, interviews and debates with experts, a deeper look into Sea World, plus much more.
Access these amazing resources here.
When asked about her access point for the story, the filmmaker replied, “I was a mom that took her kids to SeaWorld. That’s my entry point, unfortunately. I really didn’t know anything about it.”
Read the full interview at IndieWire.
