Nov.16 Blackfish
Dir: Gabriela Cowperthwaite USA, 2013
English, Spanish with subtitles 90 minutes
Orcas are intelligent mammals, thought by the scientific community to have a deep capacity for emotion and social interaction that’s equal, if not superior, to that of humans. There are no known instances of an orca ever harming a human in the wild... Blackfish sets out to reveal why captivity is different.
Unfolding with the tone and pace of a thriller, this documentary reveals that SeaWorld is not only inhumane in its treatment of orcas, but also knowingly puts human lives at risk. The film opens with a 911 call made by a SeaWorld employee, reporting that a whale has attacked one of its trainers. This moment is contrasted with underwater footage of an orca dramatically launching a trainer out of the water during a choreo- graphed stunt. As they break the surface, the crowd erupts into a chilling roar of applause. The death in question occurred in 2010, when an experienced trainer was dragged into the water and drowned by an orca named Tilikum. The incident was covered up by SeaWorld publicists, who attributed the death to “trainer error.” As it turns out, however, Tilikum was already responsible for two human deaths before this tragedy—a fact known to managers at SeaWorld but withheld from young trainers recruited to work with the whale.
A powerful piece of journalistic filmmaking, Blackfish has the power to change people’s minds about animal captivity.
Showtimes: 7 + 9:30
All screenings in room 1-306 at the College of New Caledonia
The Trailer:
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