Lucky Elephant

Like many people, I have a pet dog. I also have a pet cat. I even have a little goldfish that looks pointedly out the top of its tank at me as I walk by. The relationship I have with them is unlike any of my relationships with the humans in my life. I provide these creatures with food and water, a safe place to live, a comfy place to sleep, and they provide me with, well, it's hard to say. Companionship? Love? Friendship? A goofy flip of the ears? A haughty flick of the tail? Is living in my house the best option for these creatures and are they happy? That's also hard to say but I hope so.

The upcoming documentary One Lucky Elephant is a portrait of the relationship between a circus producer, David Balding and his elephant, Flora. At first when I heard about the film I was uninterested, in spite of the rave reviews it was receiving, because it sounded like a save-the-elephants animal film; a real life, landlocked version of Free Willy; a noble concept and all but not a particularly compelling story. Watching the trailer, however, it clicked. Something in the way Flora flexed her trunk and nuzzled in to Balding and then the way his face lit up with affection and recognition in return caught me by surprise and charmed me. The relationship suddenly made sense and I cared about it.

What do you do with an elephant when it is done with the circus, when as Balding put it, "she doesn't seem to be enjoying it anymore?" What do you do with an elephant you love dearly who can't live with you for much longer? The answer does not appear to be easy, and the answer as well as the film took 10 years.

Anyway, take a look at Flora and at the trailer and tell me what you think.