One Lucky Elephant (2011)
Where does an elephant go after a life in the circus? Sixteen years have passed since circus producer David Balding adopted Flora, the orphaned baby African elephant he lovingly raised as part of his family and made the star of his show. As Flora approaches adulthood, he realizes that she is not happy performing. Ultimately, David must face the difficult truth that the circus is no place for Flora. She needs to be with other elephants. The road to Flora’s retirement, however, is a difficult and emotional journey which tests their bond in unexpected ways. Ten years in the making, One Lucky Elephant explores the consequences of keeping wild animals in captivity, while never losing sight of the delicate love story at its heart.
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Purely Joyful Movie!
Highly Overrated But Still Good
It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Meet Flora (a 2 ton couch potato - just kidding) who was, perhaps, the most pampered and beloved elephant in all of America..... Orphaned at 2 years - Flora (who would've otherwise ended up in a zoo) was "acquired" by circus owner, David Balding..... For 16 years Flora and David were the best of friends, as only an elephant and a man could realistically be.Released in 2010 - "One Lucky Elephant" was certainly a very informative, entertaining, and yes, sometimes touching documentary concerning Balding's personal quest to find Flora (who no longer desired the limelight) a suitable and permanent home..... Through interviews with those who had worked around both David and Flora - The viewer soon begins to realize just how difficult this mission of Balding's really was.Competently directed by Lisa Leeman - "One Lucky Elephant" (80 minutes in length) is a documentary that's definitely worth a view.*Note* - In 2014 - David Balding (75 at the time) died due to medical complications.
The value in watching this is to learn what not to do with elephants. These are my favorite creatures of whom I respect and admire. They have majesty, silent purpose and intelligence without displaying an ego. I said that to say this; Man tries to impart an ego into this magnificent beast and is shocked when they rebel or resist. The message is clear. The elephants can stay and man must leave them alone. They don't require anything from man yet we want them to act something other than their purpose. This documentary makes that point and other points leaving you with a sense of regret but better for seeing this special. What is that regret? That we bothered theses creatures to begin with...
Very frustrating to see yet another poor animal used by selfish people to profit under the guise of looking out 'for it's best interests'These are wild animals pulled from their natural habitats and treated like a pet - except they aren't pets...I found the documentary massively disappointing and entirely insultingA 'documentary' like this should be standard viewing for misguided & misinformed people who are foolish enough to try and 'adopt a pet' or profit from them in circuses, zoos or sea parks with orcas etc.We're also condescendingly led to believe that somehow this African elephant is better off in a 'preserve' in rural Tennessee with a handful of elephants rather than the actual wild in Africa.I love animals and this is not a heartwarming piece, it's a fool's errand packaged to generate funds in all likelihood to maintain a pointless domestic preserve
Portly, bearded American circus owner David Balding must part ways with his beloved Flora, the 17-year-old African elephant he raised since she was just one, delivered from her homeland in a crate. Not wanting to retire Flora to a zoo, Balding temporarily stores the elephant at a small facility before transferring her to a sanctuary. The interaction between Flora (who has only known the company of humans for the past 10 years) and the other elephants is extraordinary, and the emotions that flow between David and his "only child" reach right into the heart. Shot over a period of ten years, this documentary was an enormous undertaking for writer-director Lisa Leeman and her production team. The themes here (separation, as well as the emotional bond between humans and animals) are not artificially rendered--indeed, they seem almost stumbled upon--and the personalities involved (of the two and four-legged variety) are likable. Some of the dramatic episodes are not explored, and the finale is abrupt, yet the loving friendship between man and pachyderm is wonderfully realized. **1/2 from ****