When Elephants Were Young (2016)

Obviously years in the making, this film covers a necessary and optimistic phenomenon of returning the wild to the wild. With a humanistic approach as to the impact on both the wild elephant and it's human keeper. Just a beautiful film. We get to follow the kind of life this captive elephant has been forced to live and the challenges of the human who cares for the elephant. Their partnership for the human's business, adds depth to the human side. The elephant's seeming willingness to cooperate for the enterprise, and the eventual release of the elephant back to the wild. The optimistic results of releasing the elephants back to the forest is uplifting.

I was deeply impressed by the artistic approach of 'When Elephants Were Young' as it flashes no strong message but has an underlying tone of honesty and transparency that allows one to come to their own conclusion on the socio-economic importance of elephant businesses, in contrast to the goals of release. The stunning images provide a unique insight into Thai street life and urban-rural family challenges. The viewer is taken into landscapes and social contexts that are rarely seen, certainly by the tourist but also are less of a focus point for film makers. The build-up of the story surrounding one family in particular and their elephant is touching and one can easily imagine how many other families are experiencing the same conflict and choices across Thailand and beyond. This film is for anyone who wants to take a dive deeper to get to know individuals and real working stories. Highly recommended for the nature doc lover to those loving a good story.

When Elephants Were Young is an absolutely stunning film that captures the complex relationship between elephants and humans in Thailand. It takes you through an emotional journey of how we're connected to these magnificent creatures through the true story of Wok and his elephant Nong Mai as they walk the streets of Bangkok street begging. As we follow their story, the issues facing the survival of Asian elephants as a whole are addressed revealing the serious need for conservation. If you want to learn more about the plight of elephants in Thailand through the power of a true story, I can not recommend this movie enough. Anyone that watches it will feel a burning need to help the elephant conservation movement in any way possible.

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will. Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. " – Charlotte Bronte Anyone who has ever met, or had the privilege of working with Patricia Sims, would understand how the quote above explains the inner being of the woman. I had the honour to be invited to view the screening of her documentary film, "When Elephants Were Young" which debuted at the 2015 Whistler Film Festival this past weekend. The movie plot dealt with the extraordinary, yet complex life, of a mahout and his elephant living and surviving in Thailand. The juxtaposition of their lives was intertwined through a series of emotional and thought provoking scenes. Grappling with the every day need to exist and find work in a land where things are changing rapidly, the mahout had to make a heart breaking decision to sell his elephant after years of working with it, in order to survive. Coming away from the film, I was awakened to the real life dilemmas faced by both man and animal in a world where the line between right and wrong are easily skewed by age-old cultural ideals. Patricia's portrayal of the complexities on both sides of the situation perpetuated a strong sense of empathy for the mahout, yet, at the same time, confirmed the atrocities suffered by the elephant for millennia, are slowly coming to an acknowledgement long overdo. "When Elephants Were Young" is a beautiful documentary that tears at the heart with its ability to sever the ambiguity of nature vs. man by revealing raw footage of authentic life experiences between the two. I would highly suggest taking the whole family to this movie. Lyrics by Kate Bush, resounding throughout the film, summed up the gist of the movie's non-biased theme: "And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God, And I'd get him to swap our places, Be running up that road, Be running up that hill, With no problems." Patricia Sims founded World Elephant Day in 2012. Congratulations on your outstanding film achievement Patricia. Fran Duthie, Co-­founder Elephanatics