| The Elephant Whisperers | |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
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Running time | 39 minutes |
| Countries | India United States |
| Languages | Tamil Jenu Kurumba[a] |
The Elephant Whisperers is a 2022 Indiandocumentary film directed byKartiki Gonsalves. The documentary is about the bond that develops between a couple and an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu, who was entrusted to their care. The film is produced by Mumbai based production houseSikhya Entertainment, led byGuneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain.
The film had its world premiere on 9 November 2022 atDoc NYC Film Festival, a film festival for documentaries in the United States, and globally released for streaming byNetflix on 8 December 2022. It won theAcademy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the95th Academy Awards, making it the first Indian film to win an Academy Award in that category, surpassing other nominees such asStranger at the Gate andHow Do You Measure a Year?.
Set in theMudumalai National Park in the border ofKarnataka andTamil Nadu states of India,The Elephant Whisperers tells the story of Bomman and Bellie, an indigenous couple belonging to theKattunayakan tribe who are entrusted with an orphaned babyIndian elephant named Raghu. They invest much effort to ensure that the fragile, injured infant survives and grows to be a healthy juvenile. A strong bond develops between the couple and the elephant. They adopt another elephant, Ammu, and eventually have to give up Raghu.[3][4][5]
Director Kartiki Gonsalves encountered Raghu when he was three months old, and spent approximately a year and a half with him before shooting documentary. The documentary crew lived amongst the caregivers and their baby elephant, for almost five years, filming the daily life and events of Bomman and Bellie and their adopted elephants.[citation needed] The documentary focuses on the scientific aspects of elephant rescue and rehabilitation while emphasising the traditional practices of calf rearing. Wildlife Biologist Dr. Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan, who has been studying elephant behaviour in the wild and in captivity, served as the scientific advisor.[citation needed]
The film had its world premiere on 9 November 2022 atDoc NYC Film Festival, a film festival for documentaries in the United States.[3][6] It was released globally for streaming byNetflix on 8 December 2022.[7] It won theAcademy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the95th Academy Awards,[8][9] making it the first Indian film to win an Academy Award in that category,[10] surpassing other nominees such asStranger at the Gate andHow Do You Measure a Year?.[11]
On the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[12]
Romey Norton ofReady Steady Cut rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and said that "It packs a small punch and is definitely worth the watch, especially if you love elephants."[13] Poulomi Das, reviewing forFirstpost, wrote that the "narrative is fairly straightforward, [and] the storytelling manages to be simultaneously gentle and persuasive, [..] elevated by its stunning cinematography." Das opined that "much of the beauty of the film lies in the understated coming-of-age of the film’s narrative that draws ample parallels between humans and animals." Additionally, he interpreted the documentary as a "love-story about the power of community" and "the dignity of — all kinds of — life".[14] Manjeet Singh of Leisure Byte praised its writing for ability to form "an experience that needs to be felt, than rather just to be seen", as well as capacity for crying and "the finest presentation of the year".[15]Outlook India wrote that the film is not just a heart-touching story of a bond between animal and human and co-existence, but also a showcase of Indian culture and tradition of environment conservation.[16]
In an interview withThe Hindu, the tribal couple Bomman and Bellie said they were exploited by the filmmakers who did not remunerate them or deliver on the promises made, and that the director, who was amiable during the shoot, became distant after the movie won fame. All of these claims have been denied by the filmmakers.[17] Bomman subsequently backtracked on his complaint in a video reported byIndia Today. He stated that he did not know who sent the legal notice, nor did he know the advocate or have any evidence.[18]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| Academy Awards | 12 March 2023 | Best Documentary Short Film | Kartiki Gonsalves,Guneet Monga | Won | [19][8] |
| DOC NYC | 9 November 2022 | Shorts: Change Makers | The Elephant Whisperers | Shortlisted | [20] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 16 November 2022 | Score – Short Film (Documentary) | Sven Faulconer | Nominated | [21] |
| IDA Documentary Awards | 10 December 2022 | Best Short Documentary | The Elephant Whisperers | Nominated | [22] |
