After taking in the Ai Weiwei exhibit at the AGO on Saturday morning we zipped on over to the TIFF Bell Lightbox for a noonish screening of the documentary Blackfish (so many acronyms, so little time!)
This film was released a few weeks ago and it explores the ethics and tragic consequences of capturing 'Blackfish" the First Nations name for Orcas or Killer Whales. As we know these magnificent mammals are employed as entertainers in the various aquatic theme parks around the world. Although they are now bred in captivity many of the stars in the industry were snatched from their pods in the wild when they were young. Often the crude methods of capture killed others in the matriarchal families, not to mention removing young whales from these highly social pods. When the newcomers are put into close proximity with other
orcas they are often attacked and injured.
The doc includes interviews with several former trainers, all of whom admitted that they knew next to nothing about orcas before they began their work. They are ashamed that they simply spouted the company propaganda about the health and wellbeing of these creatures, ignoring what they were witnessing every day in their close relationships with them. The theme parks claim that the orcas live longer in captivity which is entirely untrue. In captivity they live 25 to 35 years while in the wild females can live to be 100. We listen to the assurance that the curved over dorsal fin of males is common in the wild when in fact it is rare in the open seas but 100% in captivity. We see and hear a mother orca vocalizing her distress when her four-year-old calf is taken from her and sold to another aquarium.
The feature whale is Tillicum, a massive male who has ended up killing three people through the years including two trainers. Yet these deaths are characterized as accidents by the operators of the different parks where he has lived, a characterization the former trainers disagree with strongly. This aggressive "killer" whale is a primary source of semen for the captive breeding program. The trainers view his aggression as the outcome of lifelong imprisonment. Today Tillicum alone and performs briefly without exposure to other whales or in proximity to trainers.
One of the former trainers wonders whether 50 years from now we will look back and wonder how humans could be so barbaric. But isn't this the way with racism, and sexism, and, yes, specism?
Is this a sin? I wonder if the day will come when religious groups will be as vocal about this as they have been about slavery in the past, or more recently, homophobia?
What are you thoughts? Does the film intrigue you, or would it be too unsettling?
I have had second thoughts for a few years now about going to aquatic theme parks because of this kind of information....
ReplyDeleteThe last time I went to an aquatic theme park had to be over twenty years ago, and I was so unsettled by the poor health of the animals that I never had the desire to return. There was a petting zoo there as well, with goats and if I am not mistaken deer. All of these animals had ghastly eye infections and seemed listless as they nuzzled our hands for feed. Not an idealistic way to show children the 'natural' world if you ask me. I don't remember how the children around me were reacting, but I would imagine children pick up on the animals' apathy, even if they can't put words to it.
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