This is a sincere film that zooms in on a true ecological and environmental crisis of our time. It'll make you see elephants, and the Thai/Cambodian tourism industry, in a whole new way. I hope it brings new awareness to this issue to discourage tourists from supporting the elephant riding/entertainment centers conducting elephant abuse!

Just watched on Starz and enjoyed every minute. It doesn't feel like a documentary, it feels like I watched a movie. Absolutely captivating! I would imagine the negative reviews are from the trekking camps in Thailand, they don't want you to know what they do to these poor creatures in order to ride them. A must see

Wow, I'm in totalt shock over the reviews! How can people be so blind? This is an honest documentary revealing the torture of baby elephants and what they go through in order to be service animals. "Sadly" they don't show the worst examples because this documentary is also ment for younger kids to watch. But just imagine how some baby elephants will try to stand on their trunk to kill themself under the "phajaan", because they can't bare the suffer anymore. They are incredible emotional animals, who belong together with their herd. And also, the founder is putting herself in a very vulnerable position since the authorities in Thailand will do what it takes to keep this their secret - because the tourism industry is their main income. It's corrupt. Lek as done her job over many years in a very smart way, and she has taken videos of tortured animals to educate people to receive better help. She can't just run into a bad situation where a baby elephant gets tortured, she needs to get her people on her side as well. Animals have no rights in Thailand, and the authorities will do nothing about it. Her organization is in the hands of us and she needs to get the word out there in order to help the elephants. It IS an insane expensive process. I've been to Thailand myself and worked with rescued elephants, and they suffer. Not only physical, but also they have sever mental issues.. -an elephant never forgets. I hope people will start educating each other about what is happening behind the curtains, and put an end to animal cruelty.

I would have preferred to give this a zero but I can't.I don't know if Ms.Bell was emotionally indoctrinated by Lek or just misinformed but her quote of "Every elephant baby goes through the phajaan or crush" is a blatant lie. The 'phajaan' actually means to separate or divorce and with domesticated elephants there is a cultural ceremony with Monks and chanting and is quite tender and emotional,Youngsters learn from their mothers and siblings The same as humans and other animals, The "crush footage was filmed, I think, in 2002 and was proven after a Police investigation to have been a set up by certain individuals and AR groups. 'In the early 2000s, Lek filmed undercover footage of what it takes to break an elephant's spirit and turn a wild Asian elephant into one docile enough to give rides and perform at shows. The process is known as pajan, aka the "crush box" and it was one of Southeast Asia's best-kept secrets.' This quote was written by Ashley Bell herself, which means that Ashley received this information directly from Lek. Since Lek filmed the footage herself, as stated in the above quote, why didn't She do anything to help the elephant calf that was being tortured? She proceeded to film the 'undercover footage'. Did she even consider calling the police to inform them that this evil torturing was going on.If someone loves elephants that is the first thing one should do Elephants are sacred in Thailand and the Police would have been there in a flash. An outright falsehood like this is in the film helps no one least of all the elephants. I particularly liked the part where she wipes her dry eyed 'crocodile tears' from her eyes with her shirt. Sorry Ms.Bell but I believe you were conned. There are plenty of scientifically based sites on the internet that people should read and then have fact based reasoning rather than an emotional one.