The Monte-Carlo Television Festival will host the premiere screening of Lions, Bones & Bullets.
Produced by Jagged Peak Films, the thought-provoking animal rights documentary looks at the underbelly of what is thought of as “lion trophy hunting” but is really the mass production, commercialization, and domestication of Africa’s wildlife. The film follows Richard Pierce as he travels from lion farms in South Africa to dealers in South East Asia, uncovering the exploitation of not only workers and consumers but also the human health risk at large.
Anton Leach, director and executive producer, commented, “We are honored to have the World Festival Premiere of Lions, Bones & Bullets at the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival and believe this is the best forum to start a global debate about lion farming and the future of wildlife conservation.”
Laurent Puons (pictured), CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, stated, “Our Festival has always put environmental issues at the forefront, notably through the Prince Rainier III Special Prize, awarded to the best documentary dealing with these topics. We are justifiably proud of our ability to raise awareness of vital causes by highlighting important and timely television films to an influential international audience. We are convinced that this important screening will expose the secrets of the multi-million-dollar industry of lion farming to the world and open up a wide-scale ethical debate on the issue.”
Without sustainable commercialisation, there won’t be any wildlife outside the reserves. There are more lions in private hands in South Africa than in the wild. Without any income from them, owners will simply get rid of them and raise something else.
But don’t let that get in the way of a good bandwagon. This is just another film exploiting wildlife without contributing a penny towards African people who have to live with it.