The Creators on Blackfish

According to Tim Zimmerman, co-writer of Blackfish, when they set out to create the movie they weren’t trying to change SeaWorld, they simply wanted to explain why Tilikum killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau. Director, Gabriela Cowperwaite, claims she was never all that into the environment and that she questioned the worth of creating this film over something that is much more prevalent, such as the events in Syria at the time, but she felt that this story was better told by someone from the outside. Someone who had no previous experience with this field would be able to tell the story in a more relatable and important way. Zimmerman says that everyone involved is surprised by the extent to which it has encouraged viewers to speak out about this issue. In a 2014 article with National Geographic Zimmerman himself begs the question, how far will the Blackfish effect go? Beginning with celebrity tweets and high schools raising awareness the movement caught on pretty quickly. PETA later protested SeaWorld’s float in the macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Year’s Day Rose Parade in 2014. And the issue took off on social media. A change.org petition was started to get the Barenaked Ladies to cancel a gig at SeaWorld in February 2014. The success of that petition led to at least 9 other musical acts pulling out of gigs at SeaWorld. Zimmerman’s article concludes saying that ultimately, change will come when SeaWorld realizes that it is more profitable for them to stop the killer whale entertainment business than it is to continue it. Cowperthwaite says that Blackfish remains a part of her, but she doesn’t feel she’s the best spokeswoman for the whales. She feels the need to keep steering the movement in the right direction but really she wants to move on to the next project and lend her voice to other important causes. This calls into question how one changes their image after being the face of a particular issue for so long. Almost asking is it right for her to just leave this issue and move on, but at the same time, it her choice what she wants to do. This movement was pushed a lot by the viewers reactions and not the documentary itself. So, why would it be necessary for her to continue to spearhead the issue. Summary? Blackfish’s impact has exceeded the filmmakers’ expectations. A huge movement sparked by viewers of the film, social media especially, has aided in creating change and increased awareness of the issue.