Eyes of the Orangutan: Green Initiatives Earth Day Film Screening

In support of Earth Day 2023, Green Initiatives is screening ‘Eyes of the Orangutan’ - a captivating exploration of one of the most troubling facets of modern wildlife tourism, and an uplifting celebration of one of our closest living relatives: the orangutan.

The film is brought to us by Aaron Gekoski - an internationally acclaimed photojournalist - who has spent more than a decade documenting human-animal conflict. Over recent years he’s turned his lens on the Wildlife Tourism industry.

EVENT ITINERARY

18:30-18:50  Registration
18:50-19:00  Event Introduction
19:15-20:15  Film screening (55-minutes)
20:15-21:00  Discussions / Audience Q&A (panelist info will be shared shortly)

NOTE:

• Film DOES NOT come with subtitles. Post screening discussion will be in English.
• At-the-door price (without registration) will be ¥100.

FILM SYNOPSIS

Aaron Gekoski is an internationally acclaimed photojournalist who has spent more than a decade documenting human-animal conflict. Over recent years he’s turned his lens on the Wildlife Tourism industry.

But it was a trip to Vietnam that changed everything. At an amusement park in Ho Chi Minh, he spent time with a large male orangutan. Kept in a 4x5m enclosure, the orangutan had little more than two boulders for stimulation, no trees to climb, no place to escape the glare of visitors.

Every year, millions of people travel the world to get their fix of the cute, the cuddly, and the charismatic. We take our families to zoos, ride on the back of elephants, visit dolphin shows at aquariums, and watch animals perform tricks at circuses.