The UU Fellowship Screens “Blackfish”

The documentary Blackfish will be shown at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Ephraim on Sept. 15 at 4:30 pm. The public is welcome and there is no charge.

In 2010, Dawn Brancheau, a veteran trainer at the well-known Orlando, Florida water park SeaWorld, lost her life when she was attacked by Tilikum, a bull orca weighing ten thousand pounds. What made the incident all the more disturbing was this was not the first time Tilikum had caused the death of a trainer.

While orcas will sometimes attack humans in captivity, such incidents are extremely rare in the wild, leading some scientists to question the wisdom of keeping large, intelligent, and sometimes territorial creatures in captivity and expecting them to perform on a regular basis. Filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite began researching the lives of orcas in captivity after the death of Dawn Brancheau, and in the documentary Blackfish, she offers a powerful and provocative look at a remarkable breed of animals humans still don’t fully understand, and how the financial interests of water parks and resorts may run counter to the best interests of the animals they put on display.

It should be noted that as far as Sea World is concerned, this film is “propaganda, not a documentary.” Visit their webpage to learn more about their point of view, seaworldcares.com/the-facts/truth-about-blackfish.

The film is part of the monthly Movies That Matter series. The UU Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42 in north Ephraim. For more information call 920.854.7559.