A poignant insight into the world of The Bad Seeds musician Warren Ellis, and the Indonesian animal sanctuary he co-founded with activist Femke den Haas.
Early shots in ‘Ellis Park’ incorporate lush rainforests and majestic terrain; the location of the titular animal sanctuary in Sumatra, Indonesia, that rehabilitates injured creatures and releases them back into the wild, or provides a dignified final chapter to their lives. Justin Kurzel’s first foray into documentary filmmaking is a surprisingly gentle and leisurely blended cinematic portrait of the musician Warren Ellis and the animal sanctuary that means so much to him. Here we witness the coming together of the healing power of looking after animals and the sanctuary that music can provide from a previous troubled life. The confluence of music and activism is encapsulated by a simple shot of Ellis, head bowed in concentration, feverishly playing his violin, amid, and inspired by, the untamed haven of the jungle.
Australia 2024 Justin Kurzel 104m
Warning – there are some distressing archive scenes of suffering owing to the sanctuary’s proximity to the region’s lucrative animal trafficking route.
