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After the
screening I got to meet several of the former SeaWorld trainers featured
in Blackfish:
Dean Gomersall (left), me, Samantha Berg and Carol Ray
Photo by Lisa McDougald
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Many people who know me are aware that I am passionate about animal conservation--especially ending captivity of orcas (killer whales), On Friday, July 1, 2016 I enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
attend the premiere screening of Blackfish Live at the Montalbán theater in Hollywood. I had
already seen the film several times, including once in the cinema and many
viewings on CNN and DVD. However, this event was extra-special because Jeff Beal, who composed the movie’s fabulous score,
conducted the Hollywood Chamber
Orchestra as they played the soundtrack to accompany the film. In addition,
four of the former SeaWorld trainers featured in Blackfish attended the
screening and were on-hand to discuss the film’s impact since its debut at the Sundance
Film Festival in 2013.
I didn’t even expect to be able to attend the event when I first heard
about it a couple weeks ago. While I always wanted to go, by the time I got
around to investigating availability of a ticket I doubted there would be any
seats left. Then Dean Gomersall
posted a cheery “Hope to see you all there tomorrow evening” comment with the
event’s link on Facebook. Of course, I “liked”
the post. I knew it was now or never to get a seat, so I asked if he knew
whether any tickets were still available. Long story short, Mr. Gomersall sent
me a message and comped two tickets to the event for me. You could have blown
me over with a feather at his generosity. We had never even met before, beyond
Facebook!
The next afternoon, one of my dear friends and I braved the pre-holiday traffic
on the 405 and 101 freeways driving to Hollywood to attend the screening. In
addition to being excited about finally being able to meet him and several of
the other SeaWorld trainers featured in the movie, we were thrilled to be able
to see and hear the Blackfish score performed
live. I had bought and downloaded the soundtrack off iTunes as soon as it was
available last year, and I often listen to it driving in my car or participating
in social media in the evenings. Two of the pieces—“Orca in the Wild” and “Blackfish”—always
give me goose-bumps, and I couldn’t wait to hear the music played live. (Needless
to say, I have also had the soundtrack booming out of my iPod a lot since last
weekend.)
Lisa and I were happy to see that the theater was packed. Before the
movie, concertmaster Mark Robertson asked the audience who had seen Blackfish before that night. Many people,
including my friend, had never seen the movie before. The rest of the audience
(including me) had watched it many times. This dichotomy said a lot about the
staying power and enduring influence that Blackfish
has had on the public. When the film came out, director/writer/producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite said
her original intention in making the movie was to explore why Tilikum, a SeaWorld orca,
killed trainer Dawn Brancheau during a show. The rest is history, as marine
biologists and former orca and marine mammal trainers stepped forward to provide
a darker picture about what captive cetaceans endure at marine parks.
As evidenced last Friday evening, the power of the movie’s message of
compassion for the plight of these magnificent mammals continues to move
people. It has even inspired a worldwide, popular anti-captivity movement
dubbed “The Blackfish Effect.” According to the post-movie video featuring personal
testimonials from several of the former trainers featured in the movie and live
commentary from Samantha Berg,
Mr. Gomersall, Carol Ray and Dr. Jeff
Ventre, this phenomenon shows no sign of fading away anytime soon. Without
the courage of these and other trainers and marine-mammal experts who daily
share their experiences and observations to raise awareness about the plight of
captive orca, these animals would probably continue to suffer in silence and
darkness.
Thank you so much, Mr. Gomersall, for inviting us to experience Blackfish: Live!
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a
certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with
honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
(c) 2016
