“Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” returns to New York City and Los Angeles on July 20th for week long engagements in support of the protection of Asian Elephants.
The non-profit GreaterGood.org will launch a second fundraiser with 10% of each purchase going towards the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary.
Filmmaker Ashley Bell
The film is re-opening in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on July 20th due to popular demand. With engagements in over 80+ theaters across the U.S. and Canada, the powerful and heartwarming documentary will be available exclusively on iTunes beginning July 24, 2018.
In addition, you can catch the movie on STARZ beginning July 30th at 9 PM ET and it will also be available on the STARZ app.
The documentary follows the journey of filmmaker and actress Ashley Bell and her determination to rescue an elephant named Noi Na in Cambodia.
Journalist Angela Dawson, who covered the movie, writes, “Numbering just 45,000, the Asian elephant population has declined precipitously in recent years for a variety of reasons, mostly caused by humans. Having once roamed the Asian and Southeast Asian jungles freely, these elephants—smaller in size and in numbers than their African counterparts—are in trouble because their natural habitats are being destroyed by logging and deforestation. Further, these intelligent creatures are often captured and sold to circuses and trekking companies for tourists or used as service animals in the logging industry.”
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With an outpouring of love and support for the film, GreaterGood.org has also signed back on to create their second “Love & Bananas Fund,” following their successful $80,000+ fundraiser that procured underwriting for a rescue mission of an Asian elephant named Sivilai, provided critically needed medical equipment for the Elephant Nature Park Sanctuary, and helped break ground on a chain free sanctuary in Laos.
Ashley Bell and Sangdeaun Lek Chailert in Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story
Bell’s feature film directorial debut “Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” has left an emotional and heartfelt response amongst press and movie goers alike. Along with world renowned Asian elephant conservationist, SangdeaunLek Chailert, the fearless leader behind the movement, audiences across the world are jumping into action to educate themselves and work to save these animals.
“Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story aims to ignite a new way of thinking about this species and shows us what can be done to prevent the abuse of captive Asian elephants. The rapidly decreasing numbers of elephants in the world, combined with the popularity of elephant trekking camps and recent announcement to lift a ban on “trophy” elephant imports, makes this a timely and important film as it presents a solution to the problem. Through the heartwarming, yet dangerous journey that Lek and Ashley make to bring one elephant from trekking camp to sanctuary, the film depicts a better way to co-exist with and enjoy elephants that will not put them at risk.
For more information please visit loveandbananasfund.org