Director Kartiki Gonsalves Reaction On The Elephant Whisperer Oscar Nomination

Oscar announced its nomination on January 25, Tuesday. Among Oscar 2023 nominations in the 'Documentary Short Film category, The Elephant Whisperers bagged the nomination from India. The director of the documentary Kartiki Gonsalves felt honoured by the recognition. 

Kartiki Gonsalves expressed her gratitude, and shared her excitement about the nomination of The Elephant Whisperer, she said, "It's such an honour to have an Indian Indigenous documentary from the heart of South India acknowledged across the world. Thank you, members, of the Academy for nominating The Elephant Whisperers. I am very thankful to the wonderful team at Netflix for believing in the power of this truly unique family story which showcases the lovely sacred bond between man and animal." 

The Elephant Whisperer Oscar Nomination

Further, Gonsalves added, "The Elephant Whisperers is a hopeful story of respect for and cooperation with nature in an era rife with conflict and denial of the threats to our beautiful planet. We hope this film helps create more awareness, empathy, and connection to elephants and other living beings that we share our spaces with."

Gonsalves took five years to make her debut documentary The Elephant Whisperers. According to her, it was a long personal journey from the place she calls home. She dedicated this honour to Kattunayakan Community, without whom it would not have been possible. She added, "Kattunayakan Community opened their hearts and trusted us with their unique experiences and a pathway ahead. On behalf of Bomman, Bellie, and our beautiful elephant friends Raghu and Ammu, we are thrilled to receive this great honour!" 

Producer Guneet Monga on The Elephant Whisperer getting nominated remarked, "I feel so honoured to see The Elephant Whisperers reach the global stage with the 95th Oscar nominations as a producer and a filmmaker from India. It's incredible to see how far our short documentary from the quaint town of Ooty has come. It is truly a testimony of the wonders that support from incredible platforms such as Netflix can do. This is your soul and your story Kartiki Gonsalves, thank you for choosing us! We are over the moon that this year there are three nominations from India across categories at the Academy Awards and are being loved and watched around the world." 

The documentary is produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain under the banner of Sikhya Entertainment. It was screened at the United States of America's documentary festival - DOC NYC 2022 Film Festival. Monga's earlier won Period. End of Sentence won the Documentary Short category in 2019 and Guneet Monga's Kavi was nominated in 2010. Along with The Elephant Whisperers, the Documentary Short Film Category also includes, Haul Out, How Do You Measure A Year? The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger At The Gate. 

The Elephant Whisperers is a heartwarming story of an indigenous couple who take care of an orphaned elephant named Raghu. The short film captures the couple's journey as they relentlessly work to ensure Raghu's recovery and survival. It highlights the beauty of exotic wildlife and the people and animals who share this space. 

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