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.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 6 wins & 41 nominations total
James Earl Jones
- Self
- (archive footage)
Dawn Brancheau
- Self - SeaWorld Trainer
- (archive footage)
Martha Sugalski
- Self
- (archive footage)
Whoopi Goldberg
- Self
- (archive footage)
David Kirby
- Self
- (archive footage)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAs of August 2015, Seaworld profits have dropped 84% compared to the period prior to this film's release.
- GoofsAt 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.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Storyville: Blackfish: The Whale That Killed (2013)
Featured review
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.
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•6711
- imdb-694-11888
- Jul 28, 2013
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Storyville: Blackfish
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,073,582
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $75,962
- Jul 21, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $2,303,417
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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