Blackfish**

Movie Poster/photo: whaleman.org

This movie Blackfish, is a documentary about Orca’s, living at Sea World, and how animal cruelty is at its highest form.  Not to mention, the human cruelty being done by the company to its trainers. This is figuratively, the last known sweat shop in America, that hasn’t been investigated and exposed yet, but I believe they are about to get their comeuppance.  The saddest part of all of this is, that Sea World makes 2 billion dollars a year on this Shamu show, which is blood money.  With all the dead Orca trainers, and Orca’s names on the bills.

However, with the verve of this new documentary, it could be a first step toward holding  Sea World accountable for its actions, and lies it tells the public, and its trainers about Orca’s.  Basically, these stockholders are the spin pirates, of the 21st century, and have to be called to the carpet for their actions, and greed at the expense of others.

The story is about Tilikum, who is an aggressive Orca bull, and made to be part of the Sea World show and breeding program.  Tilikum was bought by Sea World after killing a woman trainer at Sealand of the Pacific, a dilapidated marine park in Canada, that was closing its doors.  After Sea World brought the animal to its park, they didn’t inform the trainers that he was dangerous and to be cautious.  How cruel is that?   Not inform the trainers of the history of the wild animal they are expected to get in the water with and so-called, train.  And on one particular occasion, recently,Tilikum attacked again, and killed the head trainer, with 18 years experience with Sea World as her employer.   Which is more than ironic since Sea World, is also breeding him to make more aggressive Orca’s??? The film, exposes the lack of knowledge, and training the trainers have, and how little they really know about Orca’s in general.  These people are not marine biologists who work with these animals.  Also, the insensitivity of these stockholders to make a buck at any cost.   Greed has an ugly face!!!  

In just reading the last sentence, I’m reminded, of how the animals are treated in the circus, and sometimes go ballistic.  Or Siegfried & Roy a Las Vegas show, that worked with lions, when a lion ends up maiming Roy the trainer, and almost kills him.  So Sea World is like a circus in the water, literally, and with no accountability, or very little so far.  These kinds of shows can anesthetize the viewer, with all the color, music, excitement, and the huge beautiful animals, and pull you in emotionally.  Not allowing you to think rationally about exactly what you’re seeing. Then, you want to do that stuff you’re seeing, next thing you know, you want to be a trainer, and bring awareness about these animals to the public. Or so you tell yourself.  Which is why if you’re not wanting to train, you want to keep going back, to be anesthetized again.

The wonderful thing about this little documentary is, that it shows, how complicit the former trainer’s were, to how they have conceded that what they did was wrong, and cruel, but then being in a quandary over what to do about it.  After becoming attached to the unfortunate animals, they so willingly exploited.  I love watching people come to a new decision, a better decision, one that has selfless elements to it.  A decision that see’s the bigger picture. This film show us that, and gets an A, but since it’s not in theaters it still gets an A for, see it on DVD it’s that good!!!  Also, it’s not like the Cove which is extremely bloody, this one has some blood but not as disturbing.

Director, Gabriela Cowperthwaite/photo: contactmusic.com

What’s also note worthy, is the director of the movie Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who was just a Sea World going mom, who got upset after hearing about the death of the trainer in 2010.  Started asking questions, and became an activist!!!   How, BRILLIANT is that??? ***Safety Alert*** for some blood, and violence and disturbing video sequences. This movie is rated PG13. Shazza ~ Musings&Rants