The Walrus and The Whistleblower: A Fight for Animal Rights & Personal Redemption
"The Walrus and The Whistleblower" – A compelling journey of personal redemption intertwined with a fight for animal rights.
31 Aug 2023
Trailer
$1.5 million is the amount Phil Demers is being sued for after attempting to expose alleged animal mistreatment at Marineland in Ontario.
Genres
Director
Synopsis
$1.5 million is the amount Phil Demers is being sued for after attempting to expose alleged animal mistreatment at Marineland in Ontario.
Go deeperPeople
View all →Synopsis
Phil Demers, a former trainer at Marineland in Ontario, Canada, seeks to expose the alleged mistreatment of animals, particularly a walrus named Smooshi. The film follows Demers as he faces legal challenges, including a $1.5 million lawsuit, while advocating for animal welfare. His efforts include multiple appearances on the Joe Rogan show and testimony before the Canadian Senate. Premiering at the 2020 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the film won the Rogers Audience Award and was later distributed by Northern Banner and Gravitas Ventures.
Deep Dive
Why Watch
- Meet Phil Demers, a whistleblower from Marineland.
- Find out about the treatment of animals at marine parks.
- See the legal battles surrounding animal rights.
Did You Know
- Phil Demers has appeared four times on the Joe Rogan show.
- The film won the 2020 Rogers Audience Award at Hot Docs.
- Demers is being sued for $1.5 million related to Smooshi the walrus.
- The film has a runtime of 88 minutes.
Perfect For
Animal rights activistsMarine biology enthusiastsDocumentary film lovers
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed The Walrus and the Whistleblower?
Nathalie Bibeau directed The Walrus and the Whistleblower.
What award did The Walrus and the Whistleblower win in 2020?
The film won the 2020 Rogers Audience Award at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
How much is Phil Demers being sued for?
Phil Demers is being sued for $1.5 million for allegedly plotting to steal Smooshi, the walrus.
Awards & Festivals
What are people saying?
We wrote about this film
iwonder September Highlights: Animals: Hunted & Harnessed
September 7th is National Threatened Species Day in Australia, commemorating the day when, in 1936, the Tasmanian Tiger sadly slipped into extinction. To mark the date, this month iwonder has pulled together a collection of documentaries looking at animals’ relationships with humans, and each other. From the journey of a new-born zebra making its way on the unforgiving African Savannah, to the sinister story of the Nazi scheme to harness the animal kingdom on their march towards species purifica
28 Aug 2022
The Walrus and The Whistleblower: A love story between a man and a walrus
A love story, a highly-publicised heist, a $1.5 million courtcase, and an animal rights movement, all rolled into one sensational documentary. #SaveSmooshi
9 Jul 2021
Play More Like This
Browse more like this
Browse more by Nathalie Bibeau
View all films →
Related Films
Is this your film?
If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.
Comments