Tribeca Festival 2024 Review: “Checkpoint Zoo” – A Captivating and a Heroic Journey!

With information being available at our fingertips anytime and anywhere in the world, some documentary filmmakers have shifted their focus on telling stories in real time, before events have concluded or all information has been collected. This satisfies many looking for immediate coverage on a global or national topic but can pose obstacles as a documentary, leaving a film feeling incomplete in favor of getting it out before public interest dwindles.

Checkpoint Zoo documents the beginning of the Ukraine-Russian war, focusing on a team of employees and volunteers of the Feldman Ecopark, a Ukrainian animal refuge center about 30 kilometers from the Russian occupied border. When Russian invasion begins to destroy Ecopark day by day, a team of heroic individuals ban together to rescue and relocate 5,000 animals from danger.

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What results is one of the most heart-wrenching and inspiring documentaries in recent memory that defies the obstacles of real time documentaries in every way. Checkpoint Zoo is everything a documentary should be, informative and emotional that tells a story of the ramifications of war, the triumph of the human spirit, and the humanity that can be seen in every animal species.

Ecopark is more than an animal refuge center. It is a beloved facility in Kharkiv that serves its community providing animal therapy programs, rehabilitation assistance, and a place for children and adults alike to bond with animals daily. This becomes evident very early on in the documentary. So much so, that when Russia invades Ukraine and begins shelling the city of Kharkiv, the animals at Ecopark have no way of surviving the attacks.

Checkpoint Zoo is an emotional testament to the atrocities human beings inflict on one another in the face of war. However, it is also a demonstration of the most compassionate and loving side of man in the face of evil and destruction. The zoo’s founder Oleksandr Feldman  is one of the many heroes who risked his life on this mission to save as many animals as possible, everything ranging from entering predator’s cages and physically lifting them to safety to inhabiting the area as Russia fired on Ecopark.

The way filmmaker Joshua Zeman was able to highlight the two extremes of the human condition as it related to this intense rescue mission exemplifies how much devastation and love can come from the same species. The documentary goes back and forth between real footage of the heroes captured as the war goes on and from their rescue mission as well as interviews with those involved. They give their first hand accounts of the obstacles and tender moments they experienced along the way, all while explaining their reasoning for risking everything for the animals at Ecopark.

Through his filmmaking and storytelling, Joshua Zeman shows some of the most raw examples of war through this footage while maintaining a larger story at hand of the resilience of humans and their immense capacity for love. Zeman’s editing team consisting of Cy Christiansen, Andrew Ford, Kelly Kendrick, and Daniel Lonsbury balance the intensity of its themes with tidbits of lighthearted moments, giving the audience a moment to breathe before their breath is taken away again and again.

In this, Checkpoint Zoo is a documentary that lets its story play out, never shying away from its harrowing moments but also telling its story in a cinematic nature. One of the most tear jerking aspects of the film is its display of the power of our world when it chooses to join forces. When their rescue mission became too difficult to handle on their own, Ecopark rescuers were able to reach out and ask for help from the world. Many countries including the US, Germany, and Poland offered their hands to help save these innocent creatures by providing food, water, and anesthesia for transportation purposes.

It brings tears to those watching to see how powerful our world can be when we are able to work together under one common goal. In this case, to aid the wildlife we often dismiss as far different than us, when in reality they are all too similar. As animals are evacuated and many species are forced to live in the same enclosures, what happens onscreen is breathtaking. Just as humans have an understanding to aid one another and work together under dire circumstances, these animals (including mammals, birds, and farm animals) find peace with one another, turning into family overnight like a modern Noah’s Ark.

Checkpoint Zoo is a perfect representation of everything a documentary should be and how it should affect us. So much can be learned from the story of Ecopark even as the Ukraine-Russian war continues. It gives us hope and a glimpse into how much we have in common with animals and how much they can teach us just by looking into their eyes.

‘Checkpoint Zoo’ Rating – 5/5

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