Synopsis

In The Last Walrus, filmmaker Nathalie Bibeau goes behind the battle lines of an explosive debate in Canada on how - and whether - to hold marine mammals in human care. With trusted access to contrasting perspectives, she returns to her home region to unfurl one of the most talked about controversies in the history of captivity in Canada.

Killer whale kisses and walrus waves are iconic experiences in modern childhood. Marine parks have long tickled the imagination of animal lovers around the world, but a seismic shift in public opinion on the captivity of marine mammals is upsetting the status quo. Hard questions are being asked on how these animals are captured, kept and displayed, and to what end. In 2012, the legendary, thousand-acre amusement park in Niagara Falls, Marineland, was the subject of an exposé publishing allegations of animal cruelty made by former employees. One of them was Phil Demers, an ex-trainer Nathalie had known growing up. Years before, Phil had become a poster child for captivity for his special relationship with a walrus named Smooshi; so when Phil left his job after a decade, blew the whistle and launched a campaign to #SaveSmooshi, Nathalie was shocked. Like so many other children over the last seven decades, she had gone to Marineland with her family and school as a summer rite of passage. Her questions only grew over the years - and this documentary was born of those questions.

Supported by rare archival images, and compelling footage of walruses in human care, and in the wild, T​he Last Walrus​ strikes at the heart of an uncomfortable conversation about the evolution of our relationship with animals. Whether marine mammals are in pools for entertainment, education, or conservation, this documentary - a love story at its heart - asks a fundamental question: is it time we think of it from the animal’s perspective?

Credits

Director & Writer: Nathalie Bibeau
Producers: Frederic Bohbot & Nathalie Bibeau
Editor: Jon Deitcher Cinematographer: Christian Bielz
Original Score: Anais Larocque & Raphael Reed Line Producer: Valerie Shamash

Produced in association with CBC The Nature of Things

Specifications

Genre: Documentary
Category: Science & Nature, Human interest
Production year: 2021
Language: English
Duration: 44/52 minutes

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