Feature Documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, Opens Theatrically on November 16, 2018
Following Screenings at The Atlantic Film Festival, Calgary Film Festival, Doc Soup and Planet in Focus Festival,
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, a Documentary About Dr. Anne Innis Dagg,
From Writer/Director Alison Reid, Opens Theatrically November 16, 2018
TORONTO. October 3, 2018 — Robin Smith, President of Kinosmith Inc. is delighted to announce that The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, the Bell Media Original Documentary about Dr. Anne Innis Dagg from writer/director Alison Reid (The Baby Formula) will have its theatrical premiere on Friday, November 16, 2018 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto.
Additional markets will be announced soon.
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes is the hitherto unknown story of Canadian biologist Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, who, in 1956 at age 23, traveled alone to South Africa to become the world’s first person, male or female, to study the behaviour of an animal in the wild. Her pioneering efforts were ground-breaking, but upon her return home to Canada, her career was destroyed.
Anne (now 85) re-traces the steps of her trail-blazing1956 journey, giving us an intimate look into her life as a young woman, juxtaposed with a firsthand look at the devastating reality that giraffes are facing today and the forces that brought her back at a time when the giraffe world needs her most.
The documentary is produced by Joanne Jackson (The Messenger, The Big Wait, Long Haul Big Hearts) and Alison Reid, and executive produced by Paul Zimic (Grass 2, Never Enough).
Featuring the voices of Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Victor Garber (Argo, Milk, Titanic), David Chinchilla (The Expanse) and Lindsay Leese (Bomb Girls) reading letters written by young Anne; Fleur de Lys manager, Alex Matthew; Anne’s husband, Ian Dagg; and Anne’s mother, Mary Quayle Innis.
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes incorporates present day footage with vintage 16mm archival footage from 1956-57, which was filmed by Anne Dagg herself, and, when she is in frame, by South African rancher, Alex Matthew.
Cinematography by Dale Hildebrand (Peace, TO in 24) and Iris Ng (Point of Departure, Stories We Tell, The Ghosts in Our Machine), editing by Mike Munn (Hip-Hop Evolution, Stories We Tell) and Caroline Christie (Birdland, Project Grizzly), costume design by Anne Dixon (Anne with an E, Shoot the Messenger) and music by Tom Third (What Wala Wants, Yellow is Forbidden, Shoot the Messenger).
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes was made with the participation of Ontario Creates, Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group of Funds through the Theatrical Documentary Program, the Rogers Documentary Fund, and KinoSmith Inc. The film is a Bell Media Original Documentary and was commissioned by The Movie Network (TMN). It will have its world television premiere on TMN early next year. Distribution in Canada is being handled by Kinosmith Inc.
About Alison Reid:
Alison Reid is an award-winning director who began her career as a stunt coordinator and second unit director. After accumulating 300 credits, she formed Free Spirit Films to produce projects diverse in genre, but similar in their exploration of the human spirit. Reid received the 2007 Crystal Award for Emerging Director from DGC/WIFT. Her independent feature, The Baby Formula (2009), sold internationally, won the Audience Award at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, Best LGBT Film at Nashville Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Zenith at Montreal World Film Festival. Her television directing credits include Saving Hope, Heartland and Murdoch Mysteries.
About KinoSmith Inc.:
Founded in 2007, KinoSmith Inc. is one of Canada’s leading independent distribution companies committed to bringing the best of Canadian and international critically-acclaimed films and film content to audiences across the country. Current releases from KinoSmith include 78/52, My Scientology Movie, Shadows of Paradise, Reset, and the award-winning performance film Manifesto starring Cate Blanchett.
