The Ivory Game

Suspenseful on-the-ground documentary follows activists and investigators as they put their lives on the line to battle the illegal African ivory trade. Co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Filmmakers Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani equip themselves with a sophisticated visual tool kit, ranging from sweeping aerial photography to surveillance by hidden camera. They interweave the stories of multiple characters fighting against both supply and demand, chiefly in Africa and Asia. In China, there is a legal market for ivory within the limits of five tonnes per year, a policy that causes a new set of problems. On the black market, hundreds of tonnes of ivory flow through China annually. The money supports organized crime, facilitates corruption, and flows back to Africa where it enriches warlords and tempts impoverished soldiers into poaching.

The Ivory Game features a diverse array of heroes: the Tanzanian task force leader Elisifa Ngowi, hunting down the crime lord Shetani; the Italian founder of WildLeaks Andrea Crosta, facilitating anonymous tips from whistle-blowers; and the Chinese activist Hongxiang Huang, undertaking covert missions to document illegal trade." (Toronto International Film Festival)

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