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Checkpoint Zoo
2024 documentary film about the war in Ukraine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Checkpoint Zoo is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Joshua Zeman. The film follows a group of Ukrainian zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to rescue animals trapped in Feldman Ecopark during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics.
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Synopsis
The documentary deals with the 71-day rescue mission to evacuate thousands of animals from Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark, which was shelled with Russian artillery during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.[2][3]
Production
Director Joshua Zeman was inspired to create the documentary after seeing a viral video of ChiChi the chimpanzee wandering Freedom Square in Kharkiv.[4] The team gathered footage from zookeepers and news reports and made trips to the site to film additional footage on location.[2]
Release
Checkpoint Zoo had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024.[5]
Critical response
The film was praised by critics for its emotional storytelling and depiction of human-animal compassion during wartime.[2][6][7][8] Britt Collins of The Daily Beast wrote that it as "a work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness."[9] Dennis Harvey of Variety praised Joshua Zeman's direction, describing it as polished and suspenseful.[3]
Awards and honors
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Gallery
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References
External links
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