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Producer/Director – Linda Hoaglund, 80 min Reviewed by Margaret Waters The Wound and the Gift is about the many ways nonhuman animals are rescued, highlighting different sanctuaries around the world where they are brought to live in peace. In today's society, nonhuman animals are often treated as tools, entertainment, and not as living beings with their own feelings, wants and needs. This documentary highlights five different places, five sanctuaries around the world that work to end these injustices by taking in nonhuman animals and giving them the life that they deserve. The producer and director Linda Hoaglund, along with many other writers, illustrators, editors, and even two feline advisors use beautiful illustrations to show viewers the intense beauty and intrinsic value present in the nonhuman animals that we take for granted every day. Rescuing them and giving them sanctuary not only helps them, it helps the people who care for them as well. The documentary is still in production, but ran a successful Kickstarter in 2014, and has been shown at several film festivals. This documentary is beautifully done, with fantastic illustrations and graphics weaving in an ancient fable of a crane who is rescued by two peasants, and tries to reward their generosity. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought that it truly focused on the plight of the nonhuman animals who were helped. Often in the film, there was no talking, only shots of the nonhuman animals living their lives, and showing emotions. When people are speaking about the nonhuman animals in their care, there are several instances where they describe them as neighbors, as people, with feelings, thoughts and emotions. I felt the film did a great job in addressing both the human aspect of rescue, and the plight of the nonhuman animals who want to live their lives as individuals. There are some technical stutters in the film, which can be expected in a continuing project. Some of the dialogue feels jagged and drawn out, while some areas could be helped with background music. Despite this, the thought and care that went into putting together a film that sees the needs of nonhuman animals in our world is very clear to see.
The film begins with the story of a crane who was shot by a hunter. A peasant came across the wounded crane, and mended her wound. Then, it transitions to the story of a sanctuary called W.O.L.F. – Wolves Offered Love & Friendship. Here, wolf-dogs (dogs bred artificially by breeders for expensive, exotic looking pets) are rescued from homes unequipped to care for their needs. Often, they are bought for the rarity of having a dog so wolf-like, but their behavior is un-tameable, and they are sent away, often euthanized or shot. One wolf-dog, Tonka, was living in a breeders facility who decided to stop caring for them, and called in authorities to shoot them. She survived because they ran out of bullets. She is still terrified of people, even after ten years of living at the sanctuary. Because these nonhuman animals are artificially bred, they have no true ecological niche, and this sanctuary is a true home for them. This is a trend seen too often with wild or exotic-looking species – people take them in because of their look, but cannot provide for their innate nature, and take no responsibility for their lives. Sanctuaries like these are a safe haven for them after lives of abuse, neglect, and misunderstanding. After the next illustrated part of the crane fable, where a woman appears to the poor peasant and his wife looking for shelter, the film shows the Best Friends Super Adoption event, where homeless dogs are brought together by volunteers to find new homes. These dogs are rescued from kill shelters in order to get the chance of life with a family. One volunteer describes the happiness the dogs feel even after just an hour of cuddling and love. Just like people, nonhuman animals want socialization and care, and often are forgotten or mistreated. At events like the Super Adoption, families can come in and give them the life they deserve, and in return get the intense affection of the dog whom they bring into their lives. Illustrations of the woman being invited to share the home of the peasants are brief, but interlude the segment of the Wild Animal Sanctuary. Run by Pat Craig with the help of many volunteers, this land in Colorado spans 700 acres, and gives a home to many nonhuman animals who were wrongly taken by people who could not care for them. Wolves, tigers, llamas, and lions were even rescued from zoos who had them as 'surplus'. Many were about to be euthanized, and lived in terrible conditions. After being readapted to trusting both peers and even Pat, they get to live once again as individuals. Pat recognizes that they're all different, with personalities and feelings. He can even read the emotions of individual tigers like Simon and Kamal, who talk without words. Places like this let people see the intense individuality and nature of each nonhuman animal living there. Because so often they are abused and mistreated, they can learn to feel safe and secure once again. At the sanctuary, they get a home where they can live out their lives as their own people. After a new illustration, the films shows a large cathedrals, where a menagerie of different nonhuman animals are coming with their people. This is the Blessing of the Animals, a ceremony held every year in New York in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of nonhuman animals. There is music, dancing, and finally a procession of nonhuman animals for all the people to see. There are dogs, cats, parrots, falcons, a cow, a camel, and even a monkey. The event goers give thanks for the earth, sky, and the creatures who live there. In the film, both humans and animals are shown interacting, usually to the absolute delight of the people. While they are blessing the nonhuman animals, many people feel that they are also a blessing to us, as fellow inhabitants of the earth. In a new illustration, the woman weaves her gift to the peasant and his wife. After this, we come to Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation at James River Work Farm. Here, horses are brought after being injured or becoming to old for racing., and are often rescued from being sent to a slaughterhouse. Many cannot be ridden any longer, but here, they have an amazing amount of land to run and live in peace. Instead of volunteers, imprisoned men who are allowed to work with the horses come and learn how to care for them, giving them skills they can use after their sentence ends. Just like the horses, these men are often thrown away and forgotten. Here, they find their meaning again along with the horses. They can see the emotions of each individual horse, recognizing their struggles. By bringing them together, both human and horse get something important – the men get to be people again, and get the interactions they don't have in prison, and the horses get treatment and care in their lives. In the next illustration, the woman is revealed to be the crane, and flies away. In a beautiful transition, we come to the Crane Village in Hokkaido, Japan. Here, an old grandmother feeds the flock of cranes that comes daily, something she's done for 40 years. She speaks with them, and walks among them like another crane. Historically, the village fed the nearly extinct cranes with their own feed, despite the poverty of the village 80 years ago. Because of that, the cranes number 1,400. Tourists come from all over to see the cranes and support their continued care by the village. The people of the village see their immense beauty, and recognize them as neighbors of the land. The importance with living together with other nonhuman animals, recognizing their innate individuality. The Wound and the Gift does a great job of showing the individual personalities and needs of species who have been mistreated and neglected by humans. There are some areas where the nonhuman animals are not the focus. The possibility of rerelease for some of the nonhuman animals, like those living in the Wild Animal Sanctuary, is not addressed, ignoring the true home of the species who are brought there. At the Blessing of the Animals in New York, some species shown looked healthy, and were probably being kept as pets despite their health. The final goal of any sanctuary for animals, if possible, should be release into the wild, where they can live truly free lives away from humans. The movie also does not give any clear example of how people can help the plight of nonhuman animals abused and hurt by the system, besides implying adoption or volunteering at these sanctuaries. Besides these shortcomings, the overall film does a great job of showing the true individuality of the nonhuman animals featured. By having periods of no narration, showing them being active and living in sanctuaries, viewers see their personalities and feelings, and recognize that they deserve better care and treatment. It is a great documentary for showing students the importance of sanctuaries for species we often don't think about, from nonhuman animals in zoos who are used as extras, to horses who can no longer race for human entertainment. In classes like mine, Sociology of Animals, this film highlights some of the ways people are fixing the rift we have created between us and nonhuman animals through exploitation and destruction of their habitats. Without places and events like these, nonhuman animals are neglected the care and treatment they need in our society today. People like Pat Craig, the old grandmother, and the volunteers at these sanctuaries are important pioneers in living together with nonhuman animals. Linda Hoaglund and her team have done an amazing job of showing this transition. I cannot wait for this film to be available publicly. Comments are closed.
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This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
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