Actress Kim Basinger has long been a vocal advocate of animal rights. Basinger collaborated with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to fight Seaworld’s plans to capture and import Russian beluga whales. This fight has proved successful: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have denied SeaWorld's request to use these beluga whales to restock their parks.
PETA spokesperson Moira Colley commented that Blackfish has been instrumental in changing the public’s perception of captive whales and marine parks:
"Thanks to movies such as Blackfish and PETA's lawsuit against SeaWorld for violating orcas' 13th Amendment right to freedom, people have learned of the rodeo-style capture of whales from their pods in the ocean....Finally, the abusement parks will close, and the whales and dolphins will be removed from their cement bathtubs and returned to the oceans, where they belong."
Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the mulit-billion dollar sea-park industry.
For more information on the film and screenings, visit blackfishmovie.com, and follow the film on Facebook and Twitter