Summaries

Take a journey deep inside the fascinating world where wild exotic animals are kept as household pets.

The Elephant in the Living Room takes viewers on a journey deep inside the controversial American subculture of raising the most dangerous animals in the world, as common household pets. Set against the backdrop of a heated national debate, director Michael Webber chronicles the extraordinary story of two men at the heart of the issue - Tim Harrison, an Ohio police officer whose friend was killed by an exotic pet; and Terry Brumfield, a mentally unstable man who struggles to selfishly raise two African lions that he loves like his own family in a small cage in his backyard. He does not understand the controversy over "owning" wild animals; the reality is, he keeps them for himself, not because he thinks it puts the lions in a good situation. In the first of many unexpected twists, the lives of these two men collide when Terry's male lion escapes its pen and is found attacking cars on a nearby highway. Winner of 5 Best Documentary Awards, the film courageously exposes the shocking reality behind the multi-billion dollar exotic pet industry with stunning photography, inspiring storytelling and unprecedented access into a world rarely seen, right in our own backyard.—Anonymous

Details

Keywords
  • journey
  • pet
  • world
  • lion
  • exotic pet
Genres
  • Documentary
Release date Feb 10, 2010
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) PG
Countries of origin United States
Official sites Official site
Language English
Filming locations California, USA
Production companies MainSail Production Services NightFly Entertainment

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 36m
Color Color
Aspect ratio 1.78 : 1

Synopsis

All Filters