The 95th Academy Awards saw a remarkable achievement by the Tamil documentary, The Elephant Whisperers, which became the first-ever Indian production to win the Documentary Short Subject category. The victory at the Oscars 2023 is a significant moment for the Indian film industry.
Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves in her debut, the documentary was released on Netflix and outshone other nominees like Haulout, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger at the Gate to clinch the prestigious award.
During her acceptance speech, Gonsalves expressed gratitude to the Academy, her family, and producer Guneet Monga. She dedicated the historic win to her motherland India.
“I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world, for the respect of indigenous communities, and empathy towards other living beings we share space with and finally, for coexistence,” Gonsalves said in her acceptance speech.
The director went on to thank the Academy, producer Guneet Monga, and her family and dedicated the win to her “motherland India”.
Tamil documentary The Elephant Whisperers created history at the 95th Academy Awards by becoming the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Subject category.
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Directed by debutante Kartiki Gonsalves, the Netflix documentary bested Haulout, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect and Stranger at the Gate to scoop the trophy.
“I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world, for the respect of indigenous communities, and empathy towards other living beings we share space with and finally, for coexistence,” Gonsalves said in her acceptance speech.
The director went on to thank the Academy, producer Guneet Monga, and her family and dedicated the win to her “motherland India”.
“Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our film, highlighting indigenous people and animals.. To Netflix for believing in the power of this… To Bomman and Belli for sharing their sacred tribal wisdom with Guneet, my producer…
“My mentor and my entire team and finally, to my mother, father, and sister who are up there somewhere and you are the centers of my universe, to my motherland India,” she added.
The documentary, with a runtime of 39 minutes, is an emotional portrayal of the deep bond between two orphaned elephant calves, Raghu and Amu, and their caretakers, Bomman and Belli. The Elephant Whisperers is produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain from Sikhya Entertainment.
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This monumental achievement by The Elephant Whisperers highlights the growing influence and caliber of Indian filmmakers globally. The film industry in India is expanding and producing incredible content that resonates with audiences worldwide.