(Press CC for Captions in English y Español)
Harambe's death shattered the illusion of safety within the walls of captivity. After a toddler fell into his enclosure, through no fault of his own, Harambe was met with a single shot to his head. As his story spread across the internet, the injustice caught the attention of the world.
In May 2016, a gorilla named Harambe protected a child when he went into the enclosure. Fearing for the boy's life, the zookeepers shot Harambe. Now, activists are pushing to bring justice to this case and to see if he was innocent.
In May 2016, a gorilla named Harambe protected a child when he went into the enclosure. Fearing for the boy's life, the zookeepers shot Harambe. Now, activists are pushing to bring justice to this case and to see if he was innocent.

This powerful feature length documentary explores animal captivity from a modern perspective through the lens of Harambe’s tragic life and death. Harambe, a critically endangered, silverback western lowland silverback gorilla, was shot and killed after a child entered into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2016. The story made international news and Harambe’s photo quickly became a viral internet sensation that sparked an important discussion on captivity. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://harambemovie.com

Packed with rare unreleased photos and video of Harambe, the documentary features Narration by Peter Egan, along with exclusive interviews by Will Travers OBE and Dame Virginia McKenna of Born Free Foundation, wildlife expert Ian Redmond OBE, TMZ and Hollywood Raw podcast host Dax Holt, Dan Van Coppenolle (who named Harambe), and Jeff McCurry, Harambe’s personal photographer whose photo of Harambe went viral and became an iconic meme. This documentary offers insight and brings new information that has not been previously known about this tragedy.
Using modern scientific research and understanding, the movie takes a closer look into the troubling and complex history of zoos, and how their colonial beginnings sowed the seeds of captivity that’s now deeply rooted in our cultures, sold to the public as a fun afternoon with the family. With fresh eyes, this documentary challenges the stories, myths, and misconceptions we have always been told – stories that have been controlled by the zoos, until now.

From human zoos to Zoochosis, the movie exposes the secrets of keeping animals locked up at the zoo for human entertainment. Unlike Blackfish, aside from the psychological impact of confinement, Harambe’s spirit remained one that acted out of love, the documentary will present new proof that Harambe tried to return the boy to his parents, yet he was still viewed as a threat and was killed instead.
Do zoos have a place in our modern society? How can a gorilla like Harambe help save our planet? The movie answers these questions and more. Let’s remember Harambe in more than meme-ory on social media, instead let’s celebrate his name and legacy to join together for the betterment of all animals on earth, including us. Harambe’s story sheds light on the psychological and physical damage inflicted on our closest living relatives, who pay the ultimate price for our curiosity.

We are not just filmmakers, but direct action conservationists, having worked in the field from the Amazon to deep in the Andes mountains, we feel the movie has to be more than education. It has to help the communities that open their homes, hearts, and stories to us to share with the world. A portion of the movie’s proceeds will be donated to NGO’s like The Gorilla Organization helping gorillas out of captivity and supporting those beings in the wild with every ticket sold, streaming session, or download.
The goal of this movie is to ignite new discussions with the activists, NGO’s, and zoos to create a conversation that can lead to change, and guarantee a better future for all gorillas and sentient animals worldwide.