Ele, My Friend is a 1992 English-language children's film directed by Dharan Mandrayar and produced by Linda Mandrayar. The film stars Jacob Paul Guzman and an elephant named Ganesh.[1] The film, an Indo-British co-production, revolves around a bond between a 10-year old named Charles and an elephant, which he names Ele.[2][3] The film is set in 1924.[4]
| Ele, My Friend | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Dharan Mandrayar |
| Written by | Dharan Mandrayar |
| Produced by | Dharan Mandrayar |
| Starring | Jacob Paul Guzman Ganesh |
| Cinematography | Arnie Sirlin |
| Edited by | B. Lenin V. T. Vijayan |
| Music by | Barry Phillips |
Production company | Dharlin Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | India United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Jacob Paul Guzman as Charles
- Ganesh as Ele
- Gazan Khan as Jaggu
- R. S. Shivaji as Ahmed
- Terry Nichelson as Charles Sr.
- Queen as Ele's mother
- Katherine Byers as Mary
- Santhana Bharathi as Kallar Village Chief
- Amjad Khan as Omar (special appearance)
- Prabhu (special appearance)
Production
editDharan Mandrayar, a nephew of actor Sivaji Ganesan, studied in India and later in the United States. He forayed into films after being encouraged by his wife, Linda.[5] The film was shot in South India and was produced by Dharan and Linda Mandrayar's Dharlin Entertainment.[6][7] Filming began on 3 February 1992,[7] and trained elephants had to be brought into the wildlife refuge in trailers.[4] Mandrayar had Ele hover his foot above him to convince the film crew that the elephant could be trusted.[4] While filming, a bull (male) elephant charged the sets and the crew and trained elephants ran to safety.[4] The scene where Ele falls into a pit was shot in one take.[4]
Release
editThe film was released in Germany and Italy as Mein Freund, der kleine Elefant and Il Mio Amico Elé, respectively.[8] The film was made available on DVD in 2008.[4]
Reception
editA critic from Movie Guide opined that "Ele, My Friend is a rare, gentle movie that will satisfy the viewer".[9] Regarding the German version, a critic from Kinder Film Welt criticised several aspects of the film including the acting, music, and sound.[10][11]
Accolades
editThe film won the Best Picture for Environment and Quality of Life Award in Bellinzona, Switzerland.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Free screening of "Ele My Friend"". Village News. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Visible Ink; Craddock (1996). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever, 1997. Thomson Gale. p. 240. ISBN 9780787607807. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Epd film: Zeitschrift des Gemeinschaftswerk der Evangelischen Publizistik (in German). Vol. 10. Joint Work of Protestant Journalism. 1993. p. 9. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sensitive and suspenseful 'Ele, My Friend' by Bonsall filmmakers now on DVD". Village News. 25 December 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b Warrier, Shobha (2 August 2004). "'I could see anguish in their eyes'". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Nathalie (2021). "Dharlin Entertainment's The Journey of Thomas To Be Filmed in Sri Lanka". Sourcebook. Village News, Inc. pp. 46–48. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson Daily Corporation. 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ Cinema sign Issues 89-94. Cineforum of Vicenza. 1998. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Ele, My Friend". Movie Guide. 17 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Mein Freund, der kleine Elefant". Kinderfilmwelt. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Mein Freund, der kleine Elefant". Kinderfilmwelt. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.