Lily Tomlin Discusses Elephant Controversy at Films That Change the World

Multi-award-winning actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin is among several celebrities scheduled to speak when the controversial documentary "Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy" is shown at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood on January 20, as part of the "Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World" screening series. The event, which is being organized by actress/singer Kat Kramer, is expected to attract many prominent figures from the entertainment and animal rights communities, including actress and activist Tippi Hedren, who will also speak.

Tomlin, along with many others, has been involved in the effort to free an elephant from the Los Angeles Zoo, an issue which is now the subject of a forthcoming trial. Tomlin has also taken an active role in freeing elephants from other zoos across the United States.

At issue in Los Angeles is the fate of Billy the elephant, who for two decades has lived alone in cramped quarters. Despite plans by the Los Angeles Zoo to open a new six-acre facility for elephants, the animal rights community is divided over whether the pachyderm would be better off at the zoo or at a larger elephant sanctuary in San Andreas, California.

"Since educating myself to the needs, intelligence and sensitivity of elephants, I've learned that elephants cannot thrive and live decent lives in zoos," Tomlin said. "These magnificent creatures pay a dear price for the 'enjoyment' of zoo visitors and the personal gain of others. The elephants develop mental and physical problems in captivity that cause them to suffer daily, and most then die prematurely. There simply is not enough room at any urban zoo facility to accommodate the physical and psychological needs of elephants."

Executive produced by Melya Kaplan and directed by Jacek Kropinski, "Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy" chronicles the history of elephants in captivity and the suffering they have endured at the hands of humans. In addition to being entertaining and educational, the film proposes practical solutions to the problem.

Kaplan, who is the founder of the nonprofit Voice for the Animals (VFTA) Foundation, is also expected to speak at the upcoming screening. Her organization filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Zoo in 2007 alleging cruel and unusual punishment of elephants, under California law. Through the years, fourteen elephants have died at the LA Zoo. After a number of motions and appeals, the case is now expected to go to trial in 2011. For many activists, that is not soon enough.

"There are well-meaning people on both sides of the debate, but I believe Billy would be happier and healthier in a sanctuary," Kramer said. "He would have much more space to roam around. It would be a more natural environment for him, and he would be able to associate with other elephants. Elephants are very social creatures. Isolating them and putting them on display for humans is cruel."

Kramer, daughter of the late producer-director Stanley Kramer and goddaughter of Katharine Hepburn, founded "Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World" in 2009 to screen films that draw attention to important social issues. "Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy" is the third film to be selected for the series.

"Hopefully, this film will introduce and educate people to the barbaric and inhumane practice of keeping elephants captive in zoos," Tomlin said. "Once most humans learn the truth about the cruelty and suffering we are causing these creatures, I believe they will find exhibiting them in zoos as morally unacceptable as I and many, many others do."

The January 20 screening of "Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy" is by invitation only.

More information about the campaign to rescue Billy the Elephant is available at www.helpbilly.org.

Information about Voice for the Animals is available at www.vftafoundation.org.

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