Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh until Thu 01 Aug

Gabriela Cowperthwaite / USA / 2013 / 82 mins

One might think there’s a clue to the nature of killer whales in their name, but it turns out that orcas have never been known to attack humans in the wild. Indeed they are placid, sociable creatures, known to be highly intelligent. There is even scientific evidence to suggest they are more emotionally evolved than human beings.

Blackfish explores why these same gentle giants so often attack humans when in captivity. There are over seventy documented attacks at water parks around the world. Seaworld’s bull orca Tilikum has now been involved in the deaths of three people and Seaworld has subsequently been targeted in a lawsuit by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. There appears to have been a massive amount of cover-up and misinformation spread about these animals and the policies of the parks that house them and purport to care for them.

Seaworld declined to be interviewed for this documentary, but there are testimonies from many ex-trainers, as well as a man involved in catching whales from the wild for such parks, whale researchers and scientists. All are passionate about whales, many are deeply emotional, and several are visibly haunted by what they have witnessed. These interviews are interspersed with footage of whale shows (and attacks) and vintage Seaworld adverts. It makes for a deeply disturbing experience but also a fascinating insight into an extraordinary animal.

For more information please visit blackfishmovie.com