Oscars 2023: 'The Elephant Whisperers' wins Best Documentary Short
What's the story
History has been made! The Oscar for Best Documentary Short has been awarded to The Elephant Whisperers.
The Kartiki Gonsalves directorial was one of the three Indian projects to have bagged a nomination at the 95th Academy Awards.
Available to stream on Netflix, the documentary has been produced by Guneet Monga.
Both Gonsalves and Monga were present in Los Angeles to receive the award.
About
It tells a heart-tugging story of man-nature bond
The heart-tugging story revolves around a family, comprising humans Bomman and Bellie, and their children Raghu and Ammu (who are young elephants).
Set in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, this documentary boasts mesmerizing visuals and showcases a beautiful relationship between man and nature.
The Elephant Whisperers defeated fellow nominees Haulout, How Do You Measure a Year, The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger at the Gate.
Speech
Gonsalves thanked Academy for highlighting indigenous people and animals
"Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our film, highlighting indigenous people and animals," said Gonsalves in her thank you speech.
She also went on to thank Netflix, Monga, and other members of the team.
While Monga seemed to be ready with a list of names to thank next, she didn't get the chance to speak, a trend recurrent at this year's Oscars.
Twitter Post
Monga spoke her mind on Twitter later
We just win the first ever Oscar for an Indian Production!
— Guneet Monga (@guneetm) March 13, 2023
Two women did this! I am still shivering ♥️🐘♥️🐘♥️
Fellow nominee
'All That Breathes' missed out on a win
Earlier in the night, the winner of the Best Documentary Feature award was announced.
It was the second category where an Indian venture, All That Breathes, was also nominated.
However, the Shaunak Sen directorial could not bring the golden statuette home.
Ultimately, the award went to Daniel Roher's Navalny, backed by HBO Max. Congratulations to the winning team!
Upcoming
Now, all eyes are on Best Original Song announcement
This year, India had three nods to look forward to. Apart from the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short categories, RRR's heart-thumping Naatu Naatu song also received a nomination at the Oscars in the Original Song category.
The sensational number was composed by MM Keeravani, sung by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava with lyrics by Chandrabose.
The winner is yet to be announced.