How exciting to see the power of film being used to challenge the exotic animal trade! The Elephant in the Living Room (what a great title!) opens today in Cincinnati and it already promises to be a game-changer in the effort to reform that state’s laws regarding the completely insane practice of keeping elephants, tigers, boa constrictors, etc., etc., as pets. The film will open around the country in early 2011. Let’s hope its impact will be enormous.
theelephantinthelivingroom.com
The film, made by Michael Webbers, is all about the work of Tim Harrison, a decorated police officer, firefighter and paramedic who, during the course of his career, has captured and rescued hundreds of lions, tigers, alligators, bears and deadly snakes. It seeks to expose the enormous, ugly world of the exotic animal trade. Harrison likens the exotic animal trade in Ohio to the “wild, wild west … We’ve got major, 3 major exotic animal auctions a year in Mt. Hope Ohio, where you can get a hyena, a bear, you can get anything you want, anything you want and walk out with it, without anybody ever stopping you.”
The film has already garnered a bunch of film festival awards, including “Best Socially Conscious Film” at the Burbank International Film Festival and, according to a one review, “It’s as important as ‘The Cove.’ I’m completely fascinated and blown away.”