The Elephant Whisperers director Kartiki Gonsalves dedicates Oscar to motherland

Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga's documentary short film The Elephant Whisperers released bagged an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards for Best Documentary Short category. The documentary short film was competing against How Do You Measure a Year?, Haulout, The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger At The Gate. The director Kartiki accepted this award with the producer Guneet Monga and gave an acceptance speech alongside her.

While accepting the Oscar at the awards ceremony, Kartiki Gonsalves said, "I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world, for the respect of indigenous communities and empathy towards other living beings we share our space with, and finally for co-existence. Thank you to the academy for recognising our film, highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this film, to Bomman and Belli for sharing their sacred tribal wisdom. To Guneet my producer and Sikhya to Douglas Blush, my mentor and my entire team and finally to my mother, father, and sister who are up there somewhere and you are the centre of my universe. To my motherland India."

A major win and a triumph to stories with a heart and that tributes our beloved nature. #TheElephantWhisperers bags #Oscars for India! Heartiest congratulations 🔥🏆🇮🇳 @EarthSpectrum @guneetm #Oscars95 @NetflixIndia pic.twitter.com/LrV4HuNSgX

— Filme Shilmy (@FilmeShilmy) March 13, 2023

About The Elephant Whisperers

The documentary film had an OTT release and is streaming on Netflix. It deals with the relationship between two caretakers and an abandoned elephant. The movie highlights the unbreakable bond between animals and humans and also sends a larger message to the nation saying that we need to protect elephants ad conserve them. The film shows Bomman and Belli, a couple from Tamil Nadu, devoting their lives to take care of baby elephants, forming a family like no one else.