Last night, my husband and I attended a movie premier. No, not the ‘get all dolled up in an expensive gown and walk down the red carpet kind’ (darn), but a premier, nonetheless. The event took place in downtown Portland’s contemporary art museum SPACE Gallery. We blundered onto this unique space while attending last weeks First Friday Art Walk. Intrigued by the unconventional pieces displayed in the windows, we were taken aback by the retro paintings on the wall, not to mention the bar in the entrance and the crowd of people doing yoga to “trance” style music while everyone watched. A place we knew we would certainly have to visit again. My husband was researching online and came across this weekend’s events, one being this premier of “Blackfish,” a movie we were both anxious to see.
We first heard about the movie “Blackfish” while listening to NPR one afternoon. (Same place we heard about La Boheme. If you’re not listening to NPR, you’re missing out!) This movie was originally an independent film shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was later picked up by Magnolia Pictures. It depicts the pitfalls of capturing and training orca whales, specifically the role Sea World plays in this. The film interviewed several past trainers and employees regarding practices and procedures used with the whales, everything from how they were captured to the pools they are placed in during non-showtimes, etc. Just a heads up, this movie is not for the faint of heart. If you have a passion for animals, this will truly make you sick to your stomach when you see what these animals are put through for the purpose of entertainment.
After we were stunned by the film, we were fortunate enough to participate in a live Q & A session with former Sea World trainer, John Hargrove. Several audience members had the opportunity to speak with him and ask questions regarding his time spent as a trainer and his knowledge of the whales. Listening to him speak offered more insight into this obscene form of entertainment and his outlook on the subject.
Upon leaving the premier, my husband and I crossed the street to grab a bite at a trendy night-time hotspot, Nosh. This place is known for their bacon dusted french fries. (Sorry, Kitty, not a fan.) While we waited for our yummy dishes, we were entertained by what had to have been someone’s mixed tape from the early 90’s. Discussing the film and toe-tapping to the likes of Vanilla Ice, Naughty By Nature, and Dr. Dre really made for an exceptional evening. We wet our pallete with some lip-smacking libations and cured our growling stomachs with some savory sandwiches. We then finished the evening with a nice walk into downtown South Portland with our sweet puppies.
According to Holly 