Project Detail

Unchained

Synopsis

Focusing on the work of Carol Buckley (Elephant Aid International (EAI) and her team, who aims to enhance captive elephant welfare in Nepal showing, by gentle persuasion and example, that there is a better way to treat elephants in human captivity.
Buckley's is a phased, pragmatic approach to change attitudes; encouraging co-operation, not a confrontation between Nepalese elephant handlers (mahouts) and their ‘essential’ elephant assets, upon which the mahouts rely to sustain themselves in an environment bereft of other options. Buckley promotes co-operation between man and elephant by positive reinforcement, not dominance and cruelty – indeed a better way.
The film posits, that as we should all know, working in co-operation will always yield a better longer-term result for all parties concerned, engendering mutual respect and loyalty. And yet, dominance, intimidation, threats and violence yields results of a different kind - breeding contempt, duress, leading ultimately to the mental and physical destruction of the abused party. The human abuser can also become conflicted with shame and a need for atonement, but with some are sadly lacking any such compassion of course.

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Details

Year: 2016
Type of project: Features
Running time: 78 mins
Format: Digital
Director: Alex C. Rivera 1st Feature
Producer: Leticia Ruiz
Co-Producer: Alex C. Rivera
Executive Producer: Antonio Arjona
Editor: Alex C. Rivera
Screenwriter: Alex C. Rivera
Director of Photography: Leticia Ruiz
Composer: Sascha Blank, Javier Rodriguez

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Wake Up Films Production Ltd.

Alex C Rivera
1 Park Road
Hampton Wick
Kingston Upon Thames
KT1 4AS

alexcrkp@gmail.com

Sales Company

Principal Media

9378 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 320
Beverly Hills
CA 90212
USA

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