ABOUT THE PROJECT
LOGLINE
Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
SYNOPSIS
In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, was turned into a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them, was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark.
More than just a zoo, Feldman Ecopark was an animal sanctuary that offered countless therapy programs to everyone from soldiers with PTSD to children with special needs. As the war ravaged on, and the shelling increased, it was clear that the bravery of the staff wouldn’t be enough to save the animals trapped inside. With the help of four young volunteers, these zookeepers would undertake a seemingly impossible mission—they would risk life and limb to evacuate over 5,000 animals, including scores of dangerous predators, and deliver them to safety.
Drawing from first-hand footage, Award-winning filmmaker Joshua Zeman’s Checkpoint Zoo showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours. shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst.
To date, the film has been accepted to 17 festivals and screening series and garnered 6 Festival Awards, and 2 Award Nominations.
"Beautiful and beyond moving" - CNN
"A work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness" - The Daily Beast
PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature
DIRECTOR Joshua Zeman
PRODUCER Joshua Zeman, Zachary Mortensen, Ian Davies, Torquil Jones
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Leonardo DiCaprio, Barry Smith, Catherine Quantschnigg, Gabriel Clarke, John Mckenna, Bonamy Grimes, Jennifer Davidson, Philip Watson, Shawn Singh, Caitlin Colford
Cinematography Nelson Hume, Olivier Sarbil
EDITOR Cy Christiansen, Andrew Ford, Kelly Kendrick, Daniel Lonsbury
Score Anne Nikitin
WEBSITE http://checkpointzoo.com
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