Documentary ‘Trophy’ shows complicated issue of poaching versus sanctioned hunting

The makers of the new documentary “Trophy” wish to impart that there is no “right” answer to the hunting of large animals such as elephants and rhinos in Africa. Furthermore, they say that while it is easy for Western liberals to decry the practice entirely, it’s far too complicated to solve from a half-world away.

“It’s very easy to sit in D.C. and say ’save the lions,’” said filmmaker Shaul Schwarz, co-director of “Trophy.” “[People] say let’s just stop the demand. We said that about the drug war, and that was a terribly horrible idea that lasted 35 years.”

“Trophy” follows big game sportsmen who travel to game preserves in Africa to take home mementos of their hunts in the bush. Despite its gruesomeness, the film makes the case that such hunts not only benefit the economies of the tribes that live in those remote areas but also, perversely, help to preserve the species being hunted.

Chris Moore, who is featured in the film, works in the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe to counter poaching and raises awareness for legal hunting and its benefits.

“They’ve lost 12,000 elephants in the last 10 years to poaching,” Mr. Moore said of the local tribes, adding that the taking of animals must be treated similarly to a bank account. “If you continue to lose your tribe’s essence to foreigners who are coming in and robbing you, your future becomes very, very bleak because they live in an area that is very hard to farm,” Mr. Moore said.

“I think people come in with their preconceived notions of our relationship to animals,” said co-director Christina Clusiau. “People tend to forget that the leather seat you’re sitting on or the shoes you wear — you are also a part of this conversation even though you want to say ’leave the animals alone.’”

“Here’s this polarizing subject that we think very differently about, but we’re actually all trying to get to the same place,” added Mr. Schwarz. “We all want to see these animals win, we just disagree on how to get there.”

Completely erasing hunting is not the answer, the filmmakers say, nor is killing all of the animals. Mr. Schwarz said that “creative tourism” will help both the animals and residents of those African countries where the animals thrive.

“That will drive people to protect the land and protect the animals and build hotels and bring in tourists, and that is wonderful,” Mr. Schwarz said. “If there’s an area that is suffering from poaching and the community feels they are being robbed, I do see that as somehow of a viable solution.”

Furthermore, when an elephant is killed, the tribespeople come in to harvest the meat to feed themselves.

“They’re only [unhappy] the elephant isn’t bigger,” Mr. Schwarz said.

“We realize that our relationship to these animals is so vastly different from those people on the ground,” added Ms. Clusiau.

Both subject and filmmakers say they hope “Trophy” will stir their audiences to leave screenings with different perceptions than when they entered, and further understand that a comfortably Western life is far removed from the realities on the ground in Africa.

“We don’t think it’s either you hunt or you don’t,” said Mr. Schwarz. “We’re not trying to push a solution down anyone’s throat, but we’re hoping there’ll be a little best less screaming.”