India winning its first Oscar in 2023 for Netflix’s ‘The Elephant Whisperer,’ directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, in the Best Documentary Short Film category at the 95th Academy Awards. In her heartfelt speech, the director expressed gratitude to the Academy, thanked producer Guneet Monga, acknowledged her family, and dedicated this incredible achievement to her “motherland India.”
“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 space with and finally, for coexistence,” Gonsalves said in her acceptance speech.
She added, “Thank you to the Academy for recognising our film, highlighting indigenous people and animals.. To Netflix for believing in the power of this… To Bomman and Belli for sharing their sacred tribal wisdom to Guneet, my producer…”
“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,” she concluded.
‘The Elephant Whisperers’ offers stunning visuals of Tamil Nadu’s natural beauty while telling a heartwarming story about the bond between humans and elephants, even snagging an Oscar nomination in the documentary short film category. The producer of the film notes that OTT platforms have really helped elevate the status of Indian cinema. In just 41 minutes, this short documentary captures the fragile yet meaningful connection between Raghu, an orphaned baby elephant, and his caretakers, a mahout couple named Bomman and Bellie, who are committed to protecting him from poachers and raising him with love. This film is the first directorial effort of Kartiki Gonsalves, who made the bold choice to leave her stable job as a wildlife and social documentary photographer, photojournalist, and cinematographer to pursue this project.