The Elephant Whisperers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Elephant Whisperers |
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Official poster
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| Directed by |
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| Story by | Priscilla Gonsalves |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
| Release date(s) | 8 December 2022 |
| Running time | 39 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The Elephant Whisperers is a 2022 Indian Tamil short documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves in her directorial debut. The documentary is about the bond that develops between a couple and an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu, who was entrusted to their care. Produced by Sikhya Entertainment, the film had its world premiere on 9 November 2022 at DOC NYC Film Festival, a film festival for documentaries in the United States.
The film was released on Netflix globally on 8 December 2022 for streaming. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards.
Contents
Content
The Elephant Whisperers tells the story of an indigenous couple named Bomman and Belli who are entrusted with an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu. They take great pains 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. Set in the Mudumalai National Park in the beautiful state of Tamil Nadu, India, the documentary also highlights the natural beauty of the location. It explores the life of the tribal people in harmony with nature.
The film is not just a heart-touching story of a bond between animal and human and co-existence, but also showcases Indian culture and tradition of environment conservation.
Production
Kartiki Gonsalves spent five years following human-elephant blended family belonging to Kattunayakan tribe to make this documentary. As she stated, “I met Raghu [the baby elephant] when he was exactly three months old,” she added, "I spent about a year and a half with him when he was a tiny baby before this became a documentary.” While filming documentary her team also photographed other inhabitants of the reserve, including leopards, tigers, and monkeys.
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
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| Academy Awards | 12 March 2023 | Best Documentary Short Film | Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga | Won | |
| DOC NYC | 9 November 2022 | Shorts: Change Makers | The Elephant Whisperers | Shortlisted | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 16 November 2022 | Score – Short Film (Documentary) | Sven Faulconer | Nominated | |
| IDA Documentary Awards | 10 December 2022 | Best Short Documentary | The Elephant Whisperers | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Nuestro bebé elefante para niños
- Submissions for Best Documentary Short Academy Award
- Mudumalai National Park
- Theppakadu Elephant Camp
- Tamil Nadu Forest Department
