Blackfish (film)
| Blackfish | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gabriela Cowperthwaite |
| Written by | Gabriela Cowperthwaite Eli B. Despres |
| Produced by | Manny Oteyza Gabriela Cowperthwaite |
| Music by | Jeff Beal |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Magnolia Pictures |
Release dates | January 19, 2013 (Sundance Film Festival) July 12, 2013 (US) |
Running time | 84 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2013 and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures for wider release.[1]
Blackfish focuses on the orca Tilikum and dangers of keeping the species in captivity.[2]
Plot
The documentary focuses on the captivity of the killer whale Tilikum, who was responsible for the deaths of three individuals, and the consequences of keeping such large and intelligent animals in captivity. The coverage of Tilikum begins with his capture in 1983 off of Iceland and shows how he was harassed by fellow captive whales and left in dark tank for hours, which Cowperthwaite argues contributed to the whale's aggression. Cowperthwaite also focuses on SeaWorld claims that whales in captivity live longer, a claim that is false.[2]
Development
Cowperthwaite began work on the film after the death of Tilikum's trainer Dawn Brancheau and claims that the whale had targeted her due to her wearing her hair in a ponytail.[3] Cowperthwaite argued that this claim had been conjecture and that "there had to be more to this story".[3]
Reception
Critical reception for the documentary has been mostly positive,[4] with the Deseret News calling it "a gripping example of documentary filmmaking at its finest".[5] Twitch Film and The Hollywood Reporter both praised Blackfish, with both review sites arguing that the film gave "a persuasive case against keeping the species – and by extension any wild animal – in captivity for the purposes of human entertainment".[6][7] Film School Rejects gave the documentary a rating of B-, writing that it "never really offers anything new, but what it does feature is extremely important" and that it was "slanted in it view [sic]".[8]
Reviews
Blackfish & SeaWorld, My Review One Wonders 4.29.13 http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-964770 #ireport AUDIOfile 5 min Succinct & Comprehensive Dr.DoreenDupont [9]
References
- ^ "'Blackfish' has SeaWorld in hot water". Jackson Daily News. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ a b "'Blackfish' has SeaWorld in hot water". LA Times. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Sundance Interview: 'Blackfish' Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite Discusses Suffering Orcas, Trainer Death, and Why SeaWorld Hasn't Seen the Movie". IndieWire. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Review: Blackfish". Variety. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Sundance review: 'Blackfish' is an alarming film". Deseret News. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Blackfish: Sundance Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Sundance 2013 Review: BLACKFISH is an Important Look at Animal Captivity". Twitch Film. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Sundance 2013 Review: 'Blackfish' Finds Beauty and Terror in the Chlorinated Depths". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ <WWPR1490.COM>
External links
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