Raghu the elephant falls in love with his mahout before being taken to a new home, in the best short documentary Oscar 2023 “The Elephant Whisperers”.

* The article reveals the movie’s content

The Elephant Whisperers is the debut work of director Kartiki Gonsalves, winning the Best Short Documentary Oscar 2023. In his acceptance speech, Kartiki said: “I stand here to express the sacred bond between children and young people.” people and the natural world, out of respect for indigenous communities and empathy for the creatures with whom we share space.

The work follows two people, Kattunayakan Bomman and Bellie, who take care of Raghu, an elephant who lost his mother when he was only a few months old. With love, Raghu grew up healthy. Some time later, the government gave Bomman an elephant named Ammu, three months old. The two elephants played together and grew up together. One day, Raghu was forced to move to another place.

In the first few minutes, the film takes viewers to the scene at the Theppakadu elephant farm in Tamil Nadu (India). The elephants here are mostly orphaned or lost, unable to reintegrate into the herd. Mahouts mainly belong to the Kattunayakan tribe (meaning leader of the forest). Bomman is the third generation of his family to have a tradition of taking care of elephants. As for Bellie, from someone who was afraid of wild animals, thanks to her love for Bomman and Raghu, she became an elephant’s adoptive mother.

Bomman and Bellie’s lives revolve around two elephants. Every day, they feed, clean the cage, play with and bathe them. Bomman often calls Raghu “my darling”, and Bellie says she sees the elephant as her own child. Thanks to this job, the two people’s feelings became closer and they decided to get married.

The elephant’s intelligence is shown through Raghu playing soccer and choosing food. Raghu and Ammu express their affection for humans by wrapping their trunks around their hands or rubbing their mahouts’ heads with their trunks. The emotional scene is the moment Raghu bid farewell to Bomman and his wife and baby elephant Ammu to move to another place. The videographer recorded the moment the elephant lay down and did not want to go. Bomman had to pat his head to reassure him. The mahout’s choking narration helps viewers understand the separation and loss.

With the habitat of Asian elephants rapidly disappearing due to encroachment and climate change, the filmmaker chose to tell a positive story, conveying the message of environmental protection. The work also intertwines aspects of preserving culture and beliefs in Kattunayakan people’s lives. In addition to taking care of elephants, Bomman is also a Hindu monk who worships the elephant God Ganesha. “The Kattunayakan people care about the lushness of the mountains and forests. Walking barefoot in the forest is a way to show respect. We rely on the forest to make a living, and at the same time protect the forest. We only take what we need,” Ms. Bellie speak.

Music contributes to leading the story. According to NDTV , composer Sven Faulconer and director Kartiki Gonsalves wanted the film’s music to be minimalist but have depth. Sometimes the musical notes bring a cheerful atmosphere, combined with the sound of birds singing, opening up the majestic natural landscape. the moment of condensation in the parting scene. The work won the Outstanding Music nomination in the short documentary category at the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

The film was highly appreciated by critics. Writer Andrew Stover of FilmThreat wrote: “The work is delicately built, enhancing the vision of the bond between elephants and humans. I cannot imagine a world without animals after watching it.” “. Common Sense Media page praised the film: “Even though it is a short documentary, the work still carries a profound plot about ups and downs, moments of beauty and sadness.”

Kartiki’s work took 5 years to complete, from 2017 to September 2022. According to Deadline , the director said he met Raghu when the elephant was about three months old. She spent about a year and a half interacting with elephants before starting the project. Theppakadu Elephant Sanctuary is about a 30-minute drive from her home.

According to NPR , Kartiki grew up in southern India, in a nature-loving family. Her mother – Priscilla Gonsalves – loves animals and her father Timothy is a photographer. Her grandmother was an amateur naturalist, often taking students to visit natural reserves. Kartiki was originally a documentary photographer, then switched to cinematography and directing.

The Elephant Whisperers is the first Indian work to win the Best Short Documentary Award from the American Academy of Motion Pictures. Previously, two Indian films nominated in the Best Documentary Short category – The House That Ananda Built (1969) and An Encounter With Faces (1979) – both failed to win the trophy.

After winning the Oscar, Kartiki continued to make films about the connection between humans and nature. The director wants to raise awareness about the challenges facing humans and animals.