SLIFF 2010 Review: ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT

“I’ve always wanted an elephant.” These words are spoken by David Balding — the former guardian of Flora — an African elephant for which Saint Louis’ own Circus Flora was named. Having adopted Flora as a young orphaned elephant, he developed a strong and caring relationship with her and turns her into the star of his circus.

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT is a charming documentary that begins with David having a bittersweet epiphany, that as much as he loves Flora, she is getting older and needs to be retired from show business. The film follows David’s search for a suitable new home for Flora, but David finds out this is not only like watching your child leave home for good, but that the process is far from smooth.

First considering a return to Africa for Flora, David searches for a sanctuary where Flora will be safe and happy. ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT documents David’s emotional nine-year journey. Flora is an elephant that has spent most of her life with humans, isolated from other elephants, making the transition complicated, but David refuses to give up on the strong bond he’s forged with Flora, even after he relinquishes guardianship.

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT delves into the psychological effects of such a relationship, both on Flora and David. The film combines a great deal of storytelling from Flora’s current life with archival footage and interviews with David Balding, his wife and others who have worked with Flora. The interviews are incredibly sincere, at times painfully honest, but director Lisa Leeman does a fantastic job of capturing the authentic human emotions of both David and Flora.

In the end, ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT is a testament to how great things can evolve from terrible incidents, with baby Flora having witnessed her mother killed in front of her, then being adopted and cared for by David. At the same time, this is a film that questions the ethics of holding wild animals in captivity, regardless of how well they are cared for. For animal lovers, this film is both fascinating and heart-breaking, but definitely worth seeing, whether or not you’re a native of Saint Louis.

ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 13th at 5:45 pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.