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Bomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human an... Read allBomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.Bomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.
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- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
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I started watching this when i was feeling low but there was such a calmness about this doucmentary. Such a simple story yet told in such an intricate fashion. Hats off to the cinematography team for capturing the beauty of wildlife reserve in Tamil Nadu , each shot better than the previous. The innocence of the baby elephants and the parallel to the connection between humans and their babies being same as elephants and their caretakers is shown very aptly.
In a world where animal cruely is increasing day by day, this a truly a story, a story of love and affection, which needs to get out and be seen. I highly recommend everyone to give it a watch!
In a world where animal cruely is increasing day by day, this a truly a story, a story of love and affection, which needs to get out and be seen. I highly recommend everyone to give it a watch!
Incredibly moving documentary about a couple in Southern India who foster orphaned elephants. The film does a phenomenal job of providing environmental, societal, and historical context to a heartwarming story. The elephants are undoubtedly the stars of the film - their mischief, gentle nature, and unconditional affection display a human child-like character that only makes you smile. Where the viewer is truly lucky is that the couple is able to translate exactly what the elephant is thinking, doing, or feeling in a way that a parent can for a child. The best thing about this short documentary is that it has something for everyone. A must watch.
This documentary is about a Tamil couple who fosters orphaned elephants. Most baby elephants don't survive human care, especially if they are very young and require a lot of attention. This couple managed to raise baby elephants, whereas others have failed. Unfortunately, failure means death. Watching the bond between humans and elephants grow into genuine affection is heartwarming. It's not too much to call it love. Elephants have very good memories and develop emotional attachments to humans. It was a joy to watch. This film does a good job of humanizing elephants and humanizing a foreign culture to this sheltered "ugly" American. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I saw this on Netflix 2 days prior to the Oscars & absolutely fell in love with the documentary..
The visuals are breathtaking, the emotions are so genuine, the production value is on point, the narrative so engaging & lastly, you end up longing for a part 2 !!
The 2 central character are so caring, down to earth but the main takeaways are specific to how the director humanized this topic into showing the culture of this Indian tribe & how love is the only eternal emotion that transcends everything in this universe..
Special shoutout to Ammu & Raghu who make this documentary so heartwarming!!!
A well deserved Oscars !!
The visuals are breathtaking, the emotions are so genuine, the production value is on point, the narrative so engaging & lastly, you end up longing for a part 2 !!
The 2 central character are so caring, down to earth but the main takeaways are specific to how the director humanized this topic into showing the culture of this Indian tribe & how love is the only eternal emotion that transcends everything in this universe..
Special shoutout to Ammu & Raghu who make this documentary so heartwarming!!!
A well deserved Oscars !!
About all the keyboard eco-warriors furiously pounding out their reviews in righteous indignation at the alleged mistreatment of these elephants. I can almost hear the blood of these armchair conservationists boil as they watch this documentary through their privileged first world lens. "I am a sponsor of an elephant trust", one declares, while another bleats, "I do not care about your (Tamil) cultural reasoning!", most likely from the safety and comfort of their modern abodes, and on devices like MacBooks that probably cost more than the annual salary of the caretakers in the documentary. In doing so, they expose their lack of any cultural sensitivity and indeed any true sense of sacrifice or worldliness.
Elephants are as revered as cows in India, because of a god, Lord Ganesha, who is part elephant. This does not mean that elephants are not used as a means of transportation like horses. It simply means that they are bestowed more respect than most animals. The elephants left behind or cast out of their tribe would very likely perish if not for human intervention. The impoverished caretakers find meaning and purpose in their lives through looking after these elephant cubs, just as the e-conservationists do so by aligning with values of animal welfare and ethical treatment without ever risking being eaten by a tiger or stabbed by an elephant. My only complaint is that the documentary was not nearly long enough.
Elephants are as revered as cows in India, because of a god, Lord Ganesha, who is part elephant. This does not mean that elephants are not used as a means of transportation like horses. It simply means that they are bestowed more respect than most animals. The elephants left behind or cast out of their tribe would very likely perish if not for human intervention. The impoverished caretakers find meaning and purpose in their lives through looking after these elephant cubs, just as the e-conservationists do so by aligning with values of animal welfare and ethical treatment without ever risking being eaten by a tiger or stabbed by an elephant. My only complaint is that the documentary was not nearly long enough.
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Kartiki Gonsalves spent five years with the Kattunayakan tribe to make this documentary. She says she met Raghu when he was three months old, and the documentary didn't start shooting for another 18 months.
- ConnectionsFeatured in La 95e cérémonie annuelle des Oscars (2023)
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- The Elephant Whisperers
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- Runtime41 minutes
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- 1.78 : 1
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