"An Apology to Elephants" is an American documentary short film from 2013, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. It runs for slightly under 40 minutes and won a DGA as well as an Emmy although the latter is almost a given if you look at the Emmy history of director Schatz and writer Wagner. Here we have their take on elephants and how humans exploit them for their own good in the entertainment industry (circuses e.g.), but also on many other occasions. But there is more to that. The film shows us not only the bad and sad, but also the beauty of which elephants are and the positive impacts they had in history on many occasions. How can we be so ungrateful!? There is a strong depiction of cruelty against animals in this one and I think this is a good thing in this very case and necessary in order to make clear not only that things are going wrong, but how wrong they are actually going. I am not a fan of Lily Tomlin (anymore) I must say, but here she is okay. Also helps that the amount of narration she has is not that much thanks to interviews etc. What else can you say about this one. I have not been to a circus for a long time and maybe this little movie helps you to make an equally good decision. Sure you cannot stop the violence at its core, but you like everybody else can contribute to the common goal of giving elephants a bigger life. They always remember and if you know how old they are getting this really means something. Some truly heartbreaking pieces of footage in here, especially the one scene where we see these old and wasted and injured elephants finally getting rest and not having to suffer anymore. All in all, this is one of the best documentaries and short films of the year 2013, maybe even one of the best 2013 has to offer without any restrictions. Highly recommended, not for very young audiences though.
Review of An Apology to Elephants
