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THE ANDAMAN ELEPHANT ENIGMA

In 2022, we were authorised by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, to undertake the filming of a documentary on the elephants in Middle and North Andaman between October 2022 and March 2023. With the assistance of the Andaman Forest Department, we reached locations that had never been filmed before and made the very first footage of the mysterious wild elephants.

 

a film by PHILIPPE GAUTIER & PRAJNA CHOWTA

documentary | 52 minutes | UHD 16/9 | 5.1 Surround Sound

SYNOPSIS

When in the 19th century, the European navigators began to explore the Andaman islands, there were none of the large mammals common to South Asia, including elephants.

Today, however, elephants are used in the extraction of timber and small herds live in the wild. How did they reach the islands and how were they able to regain new territories?

It is believed that in the Andamans, elephants swim in the sea from island to island. Is it a legend or a fact?

Could they have reached the Andamans during the last ice age 25,000 years ago, like the aboriginal tribes still living on the islands today? The film investigates the enigmatic history of the Andaman elephants.

CREDITS

Written by Prajna Chowta & Philippe Gautier

Direction & Cinematography: Philippe Gautier

Cameraman : Michel Esquirol

Edited by : Giuliano Papacchioli

Sound designer: Jean Mallet

Colour correction: Jean Coudsi

Original Music: Jean Mallet & Trio Xenakis

Post-production: Harold Presson

Line Producer: Yoann Dhenin

Production: Charlotte UZU - Les Films d'ici, Paris.

Coproduction: Bayerischer Rundfunk BR Germany,

ArteTV France/Germany, RTBF Belgium,

Plante+ France

International Distribution: France TV distribution

© Copyright 2023 Les Films d'ici

 

>> Les Films d'ici Website

FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS

— 3 November 2023, Forests & Elephants Symposium, National Museum of Natural History, Paris , France 

— 20 July 2024, NaturVision Film Festival, Ludwigsburg, Germany

— 8 August 2024, Bangalore International Centre, India

— 23 August 2024, Dr Ambdekar Auditorium, Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India

— 28 August 2024, Suchitra Film Acadamy, Bangalore, India

— 18 September 2024, Bangalore Club, India

— 1 November 2024, Menigoute International Film Festival, France

 

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