Chandani: The Daughter of the Elephant Whisperer
VIEW EVENT DETAILSPart of The New York International Children's Film Festival
Sri Lanka, Arne Birkenstock, 2009, 52 min.
Recommended ages: 8 to adult (subtitled)
NY PREMIERE—From the producers of last year's Turtle: The Incredible Journey comes a stunning true-life story set in the magnificent Sri Lankan tropics. Chandani dreams of following in the footsteps of her father and becoming the first female mahout—a guardian of wild elephants.
When Chandani is given a baby elephant, she works with him every day, memorizing the guiding techniques and mixing the herbal remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation, inscribed by her great-great grandfather in a book of dried palm leaves. But despite her obvious skill, she is chastised for performing a job considered suited only for men. Chandani is a moving story of ambition, strained traditions, and familial bonds—with astounding footage of Sri Lankan wildlife and close-ups of elephants being trained and cared for (including an adorable sequence of an elephant playing soccer). When she is given permission to participate in the Perahera—a ceremonial procession of fire-dancers, acrobats, and elaborately costumed elephants—Chandani will get the chance to prove whether a girl can, indeed, learn the artistry and patience of a great mahout.
Shown with short film The Way to Heaven.
Sri Lanka, Arne Birkenstock, 2009, 52 min.
Recommended ages: 8 to adult (subtitled)
NY PREMIERE—From the producers of last year's Turtle: The Incredible Journey comes a stunning true-life story set in the magnificent Sri Lankan tropics. Chandani dreams of following in the footsteps of her father and becoming the first female mahout—a guardian of wild elephants.
When Chandani is given a baby elephant, she works with him every day, memorizing the guiding techniques and mixing the herbal remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation, inscribed by her great-great grandfather in a book of dried palm leaves. But despite her obvious skill, she is chastised for performing a job considered suited only for men. Chandani is a moving story of ambition, strained traditions, and familial bonds—with astounding footage of Sri Lankan wildlife and close-ups of elephants being trained and cared for (including an adorable sequence of an elephant playing soccer). When she is given permission to participate in the Perahera—a ceremonial procession of fire-dancers, acrobats, and elaborately costumed elephants—Chandani will get the chance to prove whether a girl can, indeed, learn the artistry and patience of a great mahout.
Shown with short film The Way to Heaven.
Event Details
Sat 19 Mar 2011
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY
$9 Asia Society members; $12 nonmembers.