Private screening of 'Moon Bears: Journey to Freedom'
Seventy of Hong Kong’s movers and shakers attended a private screening of “Moon Bears: Journey to Freedom” shortly after its March 2007 premiere on Animal Planet.
The cocktail reception and screening, was held at the Kowloon Shangri-La, which kindly gave us a 60 per cent discount, and the entire evening was generously sponsored by the filmmaker’s husband, Michael Palin.
The 60-minute special is a labour of love for writer/director Libby Halliday, a passionate supporter of Animals Asia, whose previous films have been highly acclaimed. A former BBC filmmaker, Libby has followed the Moon Bear Rescue for many years, spending months researching and filming on site at our sanctuary in Chengdu.
She traces the bears’ compelling journey from incarceration on brutal farms to their newfound freedom at the sanctuary. The film takes viewers through the heartbreak, frustration and ultimate joy experienced by the rescue team as they battle to overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles.
Both Libby and Jill Robinson gave short speeches after the screening and took questions from the floor.
The guests were clearly moved by the daily challenges faced by Jill and the team, the cross-cultural camaraderie that has grown up among the local and international staff at the rescue centre and most of all, the delightful antics of the forgiving Moon Bears as they swim, climb and frolic in their newfound state of freedom.
Guests were given a plush Moon Bear, an information pack and a much-appreciated pack of tissues. (They even came in handy for a few hard-nosed businessmen during the screening.)
The documentary, which is being broadcast around the globe is sure to attract worldwide interest in the plight of the Moon Bears.
