Grade: A
In the last 50 years, the lion population has plummeted from 450,000 to 20,000. The documentary “The Last Lions” explores this recent and shocking pattern.
The film was directed by filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert and presented by National Geographic Entertainment in association with Wildlife Films.
The award-winning filmmakers spent over 28 years in Africa, exploring, filming and researching wild lions. In fact, a documentary produced by the husband-and-wife team was screened for Disney animators as inspiration for one of this generation’s most memorable childhood films, “The Lion King.”
“The Last Lions” reveals the true, epic journey of lioness Ma di Tau (Mother of Lions) as she fights for survival. The beginning of the film shows how Ma di Tau and her male’s territory is invaded by a rival pride, after which she is left to solely care for her three cubs.
Shunned from her previous territory, Ma di Tau is the first lion to cross the feared crocodile-infested river to take refuge and find prey in order to feed milk to her cubs in Duba Island. The film demonstrates her struggle of protecting and nurturing her three cubs against all odds, as her first cub drowns in water and her second is brutally injured, forcing Ma di Tau to make the heartbreaking decision to leave her behind. With amazing storytelling and incredibly up-close footage, one question echoes throughout, “Will the surviving cub be one of the last wild lions to exist?”
The remote Duba Island has been home to the Jouberts for the last seven years, giving them the rare experience of observing the formation and evolution of a lion pride. The film “The Last Lions” beautifully documents the cycle of life and the primal instincts in every mother to protect her offspring and bloodline. Although entirely focused on lions in this one particular location, the Jouberts were able to captivate the audience throughout with familiar emotions of fear, strength, affection and courage — everything that we can relate to in our daily lives. By sharing the experiences of Ma di Tau, the audience feels the suspense and urgency of this crisis.
As Dereck Joubert stated in a Q&A after the film screening, “We no longer have the luxury of time when it comes to big cats, they are in such a downward spiral that if we hesitate now, we will be responsible for extinctions across the globe. If there was ever a time to take action, it is now.”
It is in fact critical that potential viewers who may not be aware of the current situation of lions, watch the film to fully comprehend the severity of this crisis and the potential for change in any way possible.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
