This afternoon, Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee, hosted an advanced screening of the National Geographic film “Battle for the Elephants” in the Capitol Visitors Center.
“Battle for the Elephants” follows investigative journalists Brian Christy and Adrian Hartley as they examine the criminal networks and market forces fueling ivory’s global supply and demand. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, one of the world’s main ports for smuggled ivory, Hartley poses as an ivory buyer and documents poachers negotiating the sale of large quantities of tusks. In Hong Kong and Beijing, China, Christy explores the thriving industry of luxury goods made from ivory and the ancient cultural tradition of ivory carving. Following the screening, Christy joined the film’s producers and director to answer questions and share insights about the experience of tracking ivory, as well as steps the international community can take to end this destructive trade.
Last May, this issue was the topic of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled Ivory and Insecurity: The Global Implications of Poaching in Africa. Since that time, elephant poaching on the continent has reached unprecedented levels.
Senator Coons’ office will host a Delaware screening of the film at the Penn Cinema Riverfront on May 13 at 6 PM. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Katie Carpenter, one of the film’s two producers and a Wilmington native, and John Heminway, the film’s director. The Penn Cinema Riverfront is located at 401 S. Madison Street in Wilmington. The event is open to the public.