APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT was described by The New Yorker as “superb…a tour de force,” and by Blackbook as “one of the finest documentaries in recent memory.”
APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT screened at film festivals worldwide and won multiple festival awards. The film was nominated for Film Independent Spirit’s Truer Than Fiction Award and Gotham Independent Film’s Best Documentary Award.
DocAviv Jury Statement: ““At first sight, the topic of the film seems like another progressive middle class whim, but in the hands of the director, the establishment of a new democratic school becomes a rich, multilayered reflection on reality[…]The director succeeds in combining great intimacy with a precise cinematic language while focusing on engaging characters. This is by itself a great documentary achievement that leaves the viewer in total surprise, glued to the screen. From the small moments observed, deep questions arise concerning authority, education, democracy and the limits of freedom.”
Belfast Jury Statement: “An intensely humane and empathetic film […] It connects us immediately with its subjects, making us engaged and committed viewers. It was easily the film that animated us most and whilst there were several excellent entrants in the running this year, Approaching the Elephant was a clear winner.”
APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT’s website