EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired the North American rights to Kate McIntyre Clere and Mick McIntyre’s controversial documentary Kangaroo – A Love-Hate Story.
The film, which examines Australia’s love-hate relationship with its best-known icon, will be released theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on January 19 before releasing to select cities nationwide. Australia Day is on January 26, and the film challenges those Down Under and around the world to question the largest mass destruction of wildlife in the world. Check out the trailer above.
The kangaroo image is proudly used by top companies, sports teams and souvenir makers, yet as they hop across the vast continent, many consider them pests to be shot and sold for food and profit.
“In making this film about our famous icon we were shocked to learn that millions of kangaroos are shot each year as so-called pests and sold for profit,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It seemed incongruous to us that Australians, who are immensely proud to hold up the kangaroo as their beloved national symbol, would sanction this nightly killing. We worked hard to tell all sides of the story, but the Australian government ministers would not talk to us about the kangaroo killing. We do not want to imagine our country without kangaroos. It is timely that people across the world know what is going on with this internationally celebrated icon and ask the question why are Australians not responding to what is happening on their doorstep?”
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