Elephants Never Forget

The Film Festival was really exciting. First of all, I've never experienced such an artistic buzz in Cleveland. It was thrilling. (And proves Cleveland's potential!) Apparently 10,000 people came through the doors yesterday alone. Incredible.

Flora, moviestar

One Lucky Elephant was a touching story about the way humans relate with animals, presenting a circus owner who was kind enough to retire his Elephant after noticing that she no longer "enjoyed" performing. He spent quite some time looking for the perfect home for her, and encountered many struggles along the way. She was, after all, only used to human contact. The director was in attendance, and in a Q and A session made some interesting points. She said she hopes the film fits into a larger template of a growing awareness regarding the human relationship with the planet, and suggested that the human desire to capture and dominate wild animals runs parallel to a similar desire to harness the ecosystem for our own benefit. Although the film primarily showcased the beautifully moving bond between pet and owner, I left feeling incredibly saddened about killing sprees, captivity, and dominance training. Read more about Flora, my new favorite Elephant, here, and read about the NPO that supports her here. Elephants are amazing.

(We have tickets to see Surviving Hitler: A Love Story on Thursday. Can't wait!)