Gods in Shackles: Now Streaming for Free on UnchainedTV
Gods in Shackles takes viewers on a journey into the harrowing reality of captive elephants in India. Tradition, commerce, and conservation are front and center, as is the stark contrast between the natural world and human exploitation.
April 23rd, 2024, Fort Wayne, Indiana — Who speaks for innocent animals who cannot speak for themselves? Gods in Shackles, an award-winning documentary, serves as a megaphone for director Sangita Iyer’s cry for help on behalf of India’s elephants. The film exposes the dark side of the southern Indian state of Kerala’s glamorous cultural festivals. Temple elephants are exploited for profit under the guise of culture and religion.
Watch Gods in Shackles on UnchainedTV
Gods in Shackles is not merely a documentary, it’s an ongoing movement. The award-winning film ignites conversations, inspires empathy, and empowers people to stick up for the most vulnerable. It calls upon us to be stewards of compassion, to strive for a future where elephants – and all living beings – can roam free from the shackles of exploitation and cruelty.
On a Mission to Save Elephants
The film lays out how India’s elephants are pawns in a tug of war. On one side, those who exploit elephants justify their behavior by citing cultural traditions and religious rites. On the other side, animal welfare advocates, like director Sangita Iyer, cite the fundamental religious principle of compassion and the need for common decency in the face of brutality. The director pulls no punches as she reveals the harrowing reality of captive elephants in India. Iyer is a multiple award-winning nature and wildlife filmmaker, and author of several books, the most recent being a book with the same title as the film. She’s both the director and the producer of this film, which received accolades at the United Nations General Assembly.
Gods in Shackles has garnered 13 international film festival awards. Iyer received the “Nari Shakthi Puraskaar” (Women Power Award) from India’s President, the highest award for women making a difference in India. She is also the founder and president of the Voices for Asian Elephants Society (VFAE), a nonprofit created in 2016 to protect the wild and captive elephants of India and other Asian countries. All this to say: Iyer is doing more than merely showing the problem. She is also showcasing solutions and achieving real progress in her mission to change India’s relationship with its elephants.
Hope, After Exploitation
For context, elephants have long been revered as gods in Indian culture. They’ve also been an integral part of religious ceremonies, festivals, and cultural practices for centuries. Yet, behind this veneer of respect lies a darker truth – the systematic abuse and exploitation of these majestic creatures for profit and entertainment.
The documentary highlights the hypocrisy of assigning spiritual significance to animals while simultaneously subjecting them to torture in captivity. Investigative journalism and heartfelt storytelling makes the piece come alive. And, Gods in Shackles also offers a glimmer of hope. The documentary showcases the efforts of passionate individuals and organizations working tirelessly to rescue and rehabilitate captive elephants. Through education and awareness campaigns, they are challenging ingrained cultural practices and promoting cruelty-free alternatives. For instance, Sangita Iyer’s organization has announced the launch of robotic elephants for use in temples in place of living, breathing, suffering elephants.
Embracing a Kinder Path
According to Iyer, this invention is a compromise in that it ensures cultural preservation isn’t at odds with animal welfare. She also cited the Sanskrit principle of nonviolence and how abuse and torture aren’t in line with that expression.
“Considering the scientific knowledge available on elephants that highlights their remarkable intelligence, social nature, and ecological significance, it is evident that they thrive best in the wild alongside their herds, rather than in captivity. We must embrace a path that reveres and protects these sacred animals from unnecessary suffering,” Iyer recently told The New Indian Express.
Her film serves as a powerful call to action, urging viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths surrounding elephants in captivity. Hopefully, it will also make people pause and turn away from taking elephant rides or participating in any so-called entertainment or rituals that involve the use of animals. This must-watch film challenges all of us to rethink our relationship with all animals and to recognize the inherent value of every life.
What's Your Reaction?
