How I Became an Elephant

Juliette West cares passionately about elephants, so much so that she and her father travel from their suburban California home to Thailand to witness close-up the abuse inflicted on animals in captivity and to help Thai activist Lek Chailert rescue a victim named Ratree. Filmmakers Tim Gorski and Synthian Sharp follow then-14-year-old Juliette, who was aware of the pachyderms' plight before her trip to a country that is known for “loving” elephants but also subjects them to abuse that appears to be ingrained in Thai culture. The animals are beaten, starved, and struck with harpoon-like hooks that leave deep wounds as they are trained for seemingly benign uses such as carrying riders on treks or painting pictures with their trunks. Ratree, confined with chains and forced repeatedly to mate, has a broken hip as the result of a violent coupling. How I Became an Elephant is sometimes tough to watch (with hidden-camera footage of beasts being hideously treated), but it powerfully documents Juliette's odyssey, which has sparked a movement to increase awareness of the problem. DVD extras include deleted scenes, and comments from primatologist Jane Goodall on the importance of hope. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)