We, the Animals: Studying Interspecies Relationships in Never Cry Wolf and Mia and the White Lion

Sayantani Sengupta

Published in Literary Oracle — Vol.8, Issue I, May 2024

Keywords: interspecies relationship, eco-cinema, ecocriticism, solarpunk

Abstract:

Cinema has undergone multiple shifts in recent times and one of the major shifts is towards the eco cinema, where ecocritical theories, primarily focusing on interspecies relationships are highlighted. These theories also include the basic rights of animals, human’s relationship with animals and nature, and also reject anthropocentric beliefs. In one of his articles titled, “The Human Animal: An Ecocritical View of Animal Imagery in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World”, Erik Fredriksson argues that, “Ecocriticism begins to see human and non-human nature as interconnected and part of a whole. The distinction between human and animal is questioned and animal stories are examined to illuminate how we think about animals. The idea is also to promote empathy towards animals by highlighting kinship and to break up patterns of anthropocentric thinking.” In this paper, the focus will be on two films based on real-life events, Never Cry Wolf, based on Farley Mowat’s book, and Mia and the White Lion, which talks about the fate of lions in the hands of the canned hunters in South Africa, which will blur the line between reel and real. This paper will also highlight the interspecies interactions and relationships, more specifically, the unconventional interaction between the supposed ‘dangerous and ferocious’ wolves and lions and the two central characters, Tyler and Mia.

https://doi-ds.org/doilink/06.2024-91212423/LiteraryOracle/2024/V8/I1/A14