Please Support "Messages from Morgan": A Dolphin Tale

Dolphingirl Dove is organizing this fundraiser.

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"Messages from Morgan" is an exploration documentary film project that is a blend of "My Octopus Teacher" and "Whale Rider."

A tale about the human-dolphin connection through interspecies communications and conservation that could possibly challenge our belief systems and help raise questions of, does anyone own the rights of a whale, captive or otherwise? How do we value animal intelligence? Can indigenous teachings help us understand the culture of dolphins and whales? Is an orca's life reflective of our own environmental dilemmas and possible solutions? And, is it possible to communicate with the oldest telecommunicator on our planet?

The interactive feature of this project will focus on Morgan, a lost female killer whale who was separated from her family, and captured off the coast of Netherlands in the Wadden Sea when she was only 2 years old. After nearly 14 years of captivity in two different amusement parks, her life still hangs in the balance.

Through animal communications and investigative journalism, is it possible that Morgan can tell us her side of the story?

This film also explores the possibilities that we are more alike than not through the close ancestral bonds between indigenous cultures, like the Pacific Northwest's Lummi Nation and dolphins, especially with the critically endangered Southern Resident orca, and the captive orca, "Tokitae" (Lolita.) And, could our human counterpart from the sea help us unravel the mysteries of life?

“We can’t solve today’s problems with the mentality that created them.” - Albert Einstein

Desired Outcomes

Animal Welfare, Empathy Communications, Cognitive Sciences, Cultural, Rights of Nature

* Increasing our awareness in making kinder and wiser life decisions

* Preserving and acknowledging indigenous teachings and culture

* Activating our empathy and compassion skills for healing stress and helping to solve planetary problems

* Expanding our intelligence to access more of our DNA coding

* Developing our common sense to tap into our instincts (animal sense, a supersized version of basic common sense)

* Using our imagination to ignite therapeutic brain waves (alpha~theta)

Ocean and Marine Conservation

* Transforming captive marine amusement parks into sea sanctuaries

* Passing federal and UN laws to acknowledge and value cetaceans and animals as nonhuman people

* Reducing pollution, both in marine trash and noise (sonic testing) in their habitats

* Ending whaling worldwide

* Altering vessel strikes by changing routes for large cargo ships and boats

* Eliminating marine mammal entanglement in fishing gear by enforcing laws that govern fishing responsibility and ocean stewardship

“Let's replace violence and intolerance with understanding, compassion, and love.” - Dr. Jane Goodall

Funds Supporting the 1st Leg of Project's Total

($7,500 out of $41,000)

PNW November 9th-21st, 2024

RT Travel + Lodging + Car + Gas + Ferries + Food

Project Equipment

Lavalier Microphones

ZoomH5 Portable Recorder

Camera Tripod / Lighting

Portable HardDrive / SD Cards

Headphones: Sennheiser Audio

Filming Accessories: Batteries, Camera Bag, Misc

Website Creation, Domain, Management

Printing / Sponsor Packages

Editing Post: 5 min Trailer Creation (Summary of 1st leg)

IMPORTANT BACK & CURRENT STORY

As with all artists creating a painting, book, story, or film, this project will be the 3rd film and story I've created on Morgan, the killer whale. What she represents with human consciousness, (or lack of), compassion, and rights of Nature.

The first film I created on her story was in 2011, an updated version in 2023 to bring Morgan's captive reality back into worldwide awareness, and now this story is her story. Many ocean and animal advocates, like JM Cousteau, Mike deGruy, Bud Bottoms, Ady Gil, and others were thankfully featured in the first 2 short films - "Free Morgan PSA," and "Free Morgan," which was recently in the film festivals circuit.'

In truth, no human owns the rights of an orca, captive or otherwise, especially an individual or NGO. Everyone is free (except Morgan, and other captive cetaceans) to create their own artistic expression in a film, painting, or another art form.

This project isn't about a human's control over Morgan's fate. It's me as an artist creating and sharing a heart moving and universal story of hope!

With all the hatred and bullying, it's vitally important to share a NEW story about our connection with orca whales that can possibly be a reflection of how humans are actually treating one another, and all species, so we may illuminate where empathy and a paradigm shift is needed... and the reason I'm doing this passion project.

We each have the abilities to care for one another, and share stories of impact with a movement for compassion in action, like the movies, #Blackfish, #ResidentOrca, and #SavingLuna

I'm attempting to do the same... the 3rd time around.

2nd FILM LINK

"The more light we bring in raising awareness about cruelty and the value of animal intelligence, then maybe we can help those who are still captive become free." - Dolphingirl

For reference of subject focus and documenting style, PLEASE SEA ABOVE: "Free Morgan" Super Short, and "We are Water Spirit" - https://vimeo.com/63120106