MILKING THE RHINO*

Directed by David E. Simpson: 85 minutes, 2008, Documentary

7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay

Milking the Rhino examines Africa’s deepening conflict between humans and animals in an ever-shrinking world. It is the first major documentary to explore wildlife conservation from the perspective of people who live with wild animals. Shot in some of the world’s most magnificent locales, the film offers complex, intimate portraits of rural Africans at the forefront of community-based conservation: a revolution that is turning poachers into preservationists and local people into the stewards of their land. With memorable characters and spectacular locations, this film tells intimate, hopeful and heartbreaking stories of people from Kenya and Namibia.

David E. Simpson is a producer, director and editor who has crafted award-winning documentaries for over 25 years. His pioneering film about disability culture, When Billy Broke His Head, garnered dozens of major awards including a jury prize at Sundance and a duPont-Columbia Baton for journalistic excellence. David directed Refrigerator Mothers, about the mothers of autistic children, which won top honors at many festivals and aired on public television’s POV. Milking the Rhino aired on PBS’Independent Lens and screened at over five dozen film festivals on six continents.

*An On Screen/In Person program made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.