Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story Is a Riveting, Deeply Troubling, Must-See Film
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today / Animal Emotions
January 2018

This new film - Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story - exposes the most brutal mass slaughter of wildlife on earth.

kangaroos
Source: Courtesy of Kate McIntyre Clere / Co-Director Producer / KANGAROO

The kangaroo is at the center of the largest mass destruction of wildlife in the world.

"We interviewed many different scientists in Australia and there seem to be many opposing views. We were surprised to find resistance from government, industry and across the universities to open up a national conversation with these different experts."

I recently watched a new award-winning film about the plight of iconic kangaroos in Australia called Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story (THE TRAILER can be seen here). As I'm writing now, the trailer for this riveting and well-rounded exposé that discusses what some call the worst slaughter on earth—even more brutal than seal hunts—already has more than 398,000 views.

I've watched Kangaroo a few times and decided to reach out to the people who made the film, Kate McIntyre Clere and Mick McIntyre, to see if they had the time to answer a few questions about it. Below is what they had to say.

Why did you make Kangaroo?

We make films that celebrate the natural environment. We loved the idea of showcasing this magnificent Australian animal to the world. What we did not know was the kangaroo is at the center of the largest mass destruction of wildlife in the world.

Who is your intended audience?

Once we started filming we also thought people would want to know about the mass killing going on each night across Australia and how they may be directly participating in the kangaroo's destruction through their pocketbooks

Kangaroos are one of the most recognizable icons in the world, right up there with the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The kangaroo is an image that defines Australia to the world with 95 percent of visitors to Australia wanting to see a kangaroo. We felt that Kangaroo, the movie, was an international story that everyone would want to know about. Once we started filming we also thought people would want to know about the mass killing going on each night across Australia and how they may be directly participating in the kangaroo's destruction through their pocketbooks.

What are you main messages?

Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story gives the audience a well-rounded view of the situation in Australia and lets them make up their own minds.

Most people know very little about kangaroos, their biology, their natural habitat, the commercial kangaroo industry, the products made from kangaroo parts. Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story gives the audience a well-rounded view of the situation in Australia and lets them make up their own minds. Please watch the film so you can learn all the complexities surrounding the kangaroo

How did kangaroos go from icon to victim? Was it money or simply a hate for a supposed so-called pest?

When Australia was colonized by white settlers over 250 years ago the kangaroos were killed as meat for eating but as sheep and cattle herds grew over the next 100 years, many people stopped eating kangaroo, however they were still frequently killed for sport. It didn’t take long before the white settlers began to see kangaroos as competing with their stock for feed, and damaging their crops. Later when ecosystems collapsed from over-stocking of introduced livestock the farmers blamed the kangaroos and believed they needed to be removed from the landscape. This idea that kangaroos are seen as a pest has continued through until the present day.

How do kangaroo killers get away with ignoring the science?

We interviewed many different scientists in Australia and there seem to be many opposing views. We were surprised to find resistance from government, industry and across the universities to open up a national conversation with these different experts.

How has Kangaroo been received?

Kangaroo was well received when screening at several film festivals, winning three awards along the way. The film was then picked up by distributors Abramorama in the U.S. and Indievillage in Australia. Kangaroo opens theatrically in America in New York and Los Angeles January 19 and continues in theatres across the country. For more details visit kangaroothemovie.com. Reviews to date have been very promising and more will come out as it opens in each city. It opens in Australia on March 15.

Do you have hope that Kangaroo will change people's minds and hearts about the rampant killing—some might say, murder—of these iconic sentient beings?

We definitely want to start a conversation. We believe that after people watch Kangaroo they will be much more informed of the issues and be able to make clear decisions around their shopping choices and what they want the Australian government to be doing for the welfare and ultimate future of this iconic wildlife.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Please watch the trailer now and share with friends. Kangaroo has many social media tags.1 See it at a cinema or host your own screening of the film

"Cruelty can't stand the spotlight"

Thank you for a most informative interview. I agree that Kangaroo gives the audience a well-rounded view of the situation in Australia and lets them make up their own minds.

I hope Kangaroo will receive a huge global audience as the many important messages it contains need to be shared widely. The slaughter of kangaroos, who are an integral part of Australia's landscape, is a horrific blight on humankind and, as the late Gretchen Wyler has aptly said, "Cruelty can't stand the spotlight."

Kangaroo opens NYC Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m., Village East Cinema, NYC Premiere; After Party Facebook Event Page.

In Los Angeles, Kangaroo opens on Thursday, January 19; Special event with directors on Tuesday, January 23 at 7:20 p.m., Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills; LA Premiere + After Party Facebook Event Page.

From January 25, Kangaroo opens in theatres across the U.S.

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