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Blackfish

  • 2013
  • PG-13
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
70K
YOUR RATING
Blackfish (2013)
Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top animal trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Play trailer2:23
12 Videos
31 Photos
Documentary

A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.

  • Director
    • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
  • Writers
    • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    • Eli B. Despres
    • Tim Zimmermann
  • Stars
    • Tilikum
    • Dave Duffus
    • Samantha Berg
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    70K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    • Writers
      • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
      • Eli B. Despres
      • Tim Zimmermann
    • Stars
      • Tilikum
      • Dave Duffus
      • Samantha Berg
    • 253User reviews
    • 186Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 6 wins & 41 nominations total

    Videos12

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:23
    Watch Theatrical Trailer
    Blackfish: Ein Walbaby Wird Von Seiner Mutter Getrennt (German Subtitled)
    Clip 2:52
    Watch Blackfish: Ein Walbaby Wird Von Seiner Mutter Getrennt (German Subtitled)
    Blackfish: Berichte Ueber Trainingsmethoden (German Subtitled)
    Clip 2:54
    Watch Blackfish: Berichte Ueber Trainingsmethoden (German Subtitled)
    Blackfish: Tillikum Kommt Zu Sea World (German Subtitled)
    Clip 2:36
    Watch Blackfish: Tillikum Kommt Zu Sea World (German Subtitled)
    Blackfish: Unterschiedliche Darstellungen Von Dawn Brancheaus Tod (German Subtitled)
    Clip 2:49
    Watch Blackfish: Unterschiedliche Darstellungen Von Dawn Brancheaus Tod (German Subtitled)
    Blackfish: Wale Haben Ein Ausgepraegtes Sozialverhalten (German Subtitled)
    Clip 2:12
    Watch Blackfish: Wale Haben Ein Ausgepraegtes Sozialverhalten (German Subtitled)
    Blackfish: Clip 1
    Clip 1:22
    Watch Blackfish: Clip 1
    Blackfish: Clip 6
    Clip 1:46
    Watch Blackfish: Clip 6
    Blackfish: Clip 3
    Clip 1:21
    Watch Blackfish: Clip 3
    Blackfish: Clip 2
    Clip 0:47
    Watch Blackfish: Clip 2
    Blackfish
    Promo 2:17
    Watch Blackfish
    Blackfish
    Promo 2:25
    Watch Blackfish

    Photos31

    Blackfish (2013)
    Dave Duffus in Blackfish (2013)
    Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall, Carol Ray, and Jeffrey Ventre in Blackfish (2013)
    Blackfish (2013)
    Tilikum in Blackfish (2013)
    Tilikum in Blackfish (2013)
    Blackfish (2013)
    Blackfish (2013)
    Erica Rahn, director Gabriela Cowperthwaite and executive producer Judy Bart
    Gabriela Cowperthwaite at an event for Blackfish (2013)
    Blackfish (2013)
    Blackfish (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tilikum
    Tilikum
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Dave Duffus
    Dave Duffus
    • Self - OSHA Expert Witness, Whale Researcher
    Samantha Berg
    Samantha Berg
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    Dean Gomersall
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    John Hargrove
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    Mark Simmons
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    Kim Ashdown
    • Self
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Shamu
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Carol Ray
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    John Jett
    • Self - Fomer SeaWorld Trainer
    Dawn Brancheau
    • Self - SeaWorld Trainer
    • (archive footage)
    Jeffrey Ventre
    • Self - Former SeaWorld Trainer
    Thomas Tobin
    • Self
    Jim Payne
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Martha Sugalski
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Whoopi Goldberg
    Whoopi Goldberg
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    David Kirby
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    • Writers
      • Gabriela Cowperthwaite
      • Eli B. Despres
      • Tim Zimmermann
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As of August 2015, Seaworld profits have dropped 84% compared to the period prior to this film's release.
    • Goofs
      At minute 28:51 while mentioning Tilikum's arrival to Sea World in 1992, they show Keiko's footage; as you can clearly see a banner that says "Delegacion Tlalpan" and a "Reino Aventura" logo (where Keiko used to perform in Mexico city).
    • Quotes

      Howard Garrett - Orca Researcher: There is no record of an orca doing any harm to a human in the wild.

    • Connections
      Featured in Storyville: Blackfish: The Whale That Killed (2013)

    User reviews253

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    On how humans should (and should not) encounter orca whales
    First, that's a great documentary: it beautifully combines Herzog's "Grizzly Man" thrilling, escalating tension of how things go wrong when humans misinterpret their relation with nature with Achbar & Abbott's "The Corporation" sharp examination of modern-day companies.

    Second, it is aesthetically captivating and pleasant to follow. Cowperthwaite's reconstructs the narrative leading to the final, and fatal, encounter of Tilikum and Dawn Brancheau, alternating footage, both in the wild and in aquariums, with interviews and contextual data.

    Finally, it is a work that, without ever abandoning neutrality, serves a mostly noble cause: that against the confinement of animals that are intelligent, social, and set to crisscross oceans, not to be kept in tanks.

    My hope is that, by being such a fine piece of art, it also helps change the industry of marine-life entertainment theme parks.

    So "Blackfish" is a big splash in more than one way! Go watch it.
    helpful•67
    11
    • imdb-694-11888
    • Jul 28, 2013

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 26, 2013 (Ireland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Storyville: Blackfish
    • Filming locations
      • Sea World, San Diego, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • CNN Films
      • Manny O Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,073,582
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $75,962
      • Jul 21, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,303,417
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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