ELLIS PARK.
Directed by: Justin Kurzel
Main participants: Warren Ellis, Femke den Haas.
Review by Greg Phillips
Making its world premiere at the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival is Justin Kurzel’s documentary Ellis Park. The film not only gives us a glimpse into the mind of legendary Australian musician Warren Ellis (The Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) but also highlights the amazing work of animal activist Femke den Haas and her welfare team at the wildlife sanctuary in the forests of Sumatra, Indonesia which bears Warren’s name. Femke and her dedicated team of conservationists rescue trafficked and mistreated animals and then devote years to nursing them back to health, Ellis Park is a beacon of kindness in a world that sometimes has precious little of it to spare. The movie documents the lead up to Warren’s first trip to the wildlife sanctuary.
Beginning in his hometown of Ballarat, Ellis chronicles his wondrous but sometimes challenging childhood and allows us a bird’s eye view of a trip to his parents’ house, where we meet his mum and songwriting, musician dad John (RIP 2023). While there, Ellis shows them an enlarged replica of a piece of chewing gum, which he intends to gift to Femke when he visits the sanctuary. The original, actual size piece of gum was initially chewed by vocal icon Nina Simone, who performed at the 1999 Meltdown, a festival curated by his friend Nick Cave. Ellis noticed that Simone had stuck the gum to the piano during the performance, and he remembered to confiscate it afterwards. The gum is a recurring theme throughout the film and you’ll need to see the documentary to discover its amusing climax. Warren has also written a memoir, inspired by the experience titled Nina Simone’s Gum.
Ellis Park reveals an authenticity and uniquely Australian larrikinism in Warren’s quirky personality and an honourable intention in his role with the sanctuary. Femke saw that in Warren too and as she tells us in the film, many in the past have promised to help but then disappear. Through the interactions with his mum and dad, we witness a humility and a gratitude for the life Ellis has lived, kickstarted by his parents, especially his music loving dad. A performance between Warren and his father of his dad’s song Mis’ry Is My Middle Name is an amusing but incredibly touching moment of the film.
Of course Ellis is no stranger to cinema having contributed music, along with his compadre Nick Cave to a swag of acclaimed movies including The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Hell Or High Water and numerous others. Again, with this film Warren’s haunting violin enriches the visual elements, adding much drama and poignancy. Ellis Park also portray’s Warren’s compositional process in yet another fascinating aspect of Kurzel’s documentary.
The film wanders back and forth from Melbourne, as Ellis recounts significant moments in his life, to footage of the animals and the work the team are doing back in the Sumatran sanctuary, just across the Sunda Strait from the famous Krakatoa volcano. Earning a starring role in the sanctuary is Rina, an armless primate, who was rescued from a wildlife trader in 2018 after suffering unimaginable trauma. In a poignant moment of the film, when he finally arrives at the Sumatran facility, Ellis enters a cage and plays violin to the animals as their innocent faces are viewed in close up, revealing both their pain and wonder. What we didn’t know until Warren told us in an intimate Q&A afterwards, was that Rina hated the music and attacked Warren immediately. The magic of film eh!
Before the movie began there was a viewer warning that it contains depictions of violence towards animals and these were tough to watch but integral to telling the story and illustrating the vulgar trade in wild animals. Femke and her team are doing amazing work, rehabilitating these animals, most of which could never be returned to the wild but at Ellis Park, they can at least be cared for and live in peace. As Warren tells us in the film, with so many horrible people in the world, it’s comforting to know that perhaps gods greatest creatures can be humans if we all work together for the greater good.
More than just a movie about a significant Australian musician, it’s a beautifully told story about the affirmative impact a dedicated few can make when they come together with passion and love to help right the wrongs of a sometimes cruel society. Ellis Park is seeking donations to expand their operations to care for more rescued animals and shine a spotlight on the abhorrent trade of wild animals.
Website https://www.ellispark.org/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ellisparksumatra
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EllisParkWildlifeSanctuary
X https://x.com/EllisPark2021
