The Ivory Game

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1:42

The Ivory Game

2016

1h 52m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle-class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of white gold are slaughtering African elephants in record numbers. Filmmakers went under cover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.

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Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting and ambitious to a fault, The Ivory Game serves as a fittingly urgent call to action against a looming threat against vulnerable wildlife and a fragile ecosystem.

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Christy Lemire

RogerEbert.com

11/04/2016

3/4

A documentary that plays with the gripping pacing and glossy production values of a suspenseful, international thriller.

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Ken Jaworowski

New York Times

11/03/2016

While more information on the animals and their ecosystems is needed, the stakes described here are immense, as is the sorrow over majestic creatures massacred only so that their tusks can be made into baubles.

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Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

11/03/2016

The cameras avoid the goriest angles of the mutilated animals, but the horror is amplified as the film moves from the savannas of Kenya and Tanzania to display windows in Hong Kong showcasing carved ivory curios.

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

01/04/2021

Davidson and Ladkani spend too much time manufacturing intrigue in The Ivory Game. Their lack of focus gives the impression of a lack of confidence. That's going to make it difficult to change anyone's mind.

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Jay Kuehner

Cinema Scope

10/10/2017

It doesn't take an ethnography lab to unpack the vested power of a tusk, but perhaps a more rigorous empiricism (e.g., Farocki), while compromising box-office appeal, could better serve a more enduring agenda.

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Glenn Dunks

The Film Experience

01/03/2017

C+

...more or less derailed by a slavish devotion to a cinematic format that it is not suited to.

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Violetta Darling

Sep 27

it should have gotten a higher rating in the 90s were important issue but it's not a video game or anime or things like that. We Need To Care More.

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Sajana P

@RT25344397 10/10/2023

the most glued to the screen i have been for a doco

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Gareth v

@geewah 06/22/2023

An important doco that doesn't pretend to know all the answers and shines a light on to what is a cruel and greedy industry.

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01/27/2020

A good doc re the ivory trade. It's sad to see animals being killed for monetary gain. You have to be some kind of psycho to be able to do that.

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01/11/2020

Great stuff. It starts a bit slow but picks up shortly after the film begins. Very informative and entertaining . Highly recommend.

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02/21/2018

Well rounded documentary that covers off both the poaching, and trading aspects. Quite a lot of characters though in the story results in a lot of repetition, perhaps more impactful if they'd gone for a more focused 60 minute documentary.

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Kief Davidson

Director

Richard Ladkani

Director

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Self

Kief Davidson

Producer

Wolfgang Knöpfler

Producer

Walter Kohler

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The Ivory Game: Trailer 1

1:42

The Ivory Game: Featurette - Fighting the Trade

2:38

The Ivory Game: Trailer 1

1:43

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Synopsis

Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle-class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of white gold are slaughtering African elephants in record numbers. Filmmakers went under cover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.

Director: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani
Producer: Kief Davidson, Wolfgang Knöpfler, Walter Kohler
Production Co: Terra mater Factual Studios, Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 52m