ONE
LUCKY ELEPHANT - a documentary film
in
progress
Eight years in the making, ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT follows the journey
of circus producer David Balding as he tries to find a nurturing and permanent
home for Flora, the 18-year-old African elephant that he rescued as an
infant, raised as his “daughter” and made the star of his circus.
David’s love for Flora is put to the ultimate test when he realizes
he made a terrible mistake keeping Flora as a solo elephant, and decides
to retire her from the circus after 17 years of performing. Knowing Flora
will outlive him, and with his health and finances becoming an issue, David
sets off on a quest to find a home for Flora can live freely with other
elephants.
This complicated and emotional task begins with Flora’s
final circus performance in St. Louis and takes us on an emotional trek across
America,
then to Africa
and back. We follow David's journey as he discovers just how difficult it is
to find a proper home for an elephant in a world that reveres these animals
for their majesty yet slaughters them for their ivory and meat, adores them
as cuddly
Dumbos yet brands them “rampaging creatures”.
ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT raises critical issues about the future of elephants in
captivity and the precarious situation facing their counterparts in the wild,
and how these
issues have impacted the life of one very lucky elephant. Click here to WATCH THE SAMPLE VIDEO.
PRODUCTION
TEAM
For bios, click below:
Director: Lisa
Leeman
Producer: Jordana
Glick-Franzheim
Writer/Producer: Cristina
Colissimo
Producer/Composer: Miriam
Cutler
Editor: Kate
Amend
