‘The 100-Year-Old Man’ film criticised by ADI & Code Animal
ADI and Code Animal have condemned ‘The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared’ for its use of an abused circus elephant. The film is directed by Felix Herngren and opens in cinemas across France on 28th May.
The elephant used in ‘The Hundred-Year-Old Man’ Vana Mana (also known as Wana Mana) previously featured in a shocking undercover exposé by ADI at the Great British Circus in the UK. Vana Mana and her companions Sonja and Delhi were beaten by both her trainer and groom and chained for long periods.
ADI’s horrifying footage prompted an outcry and the elephants and their trainer left the UK after just one season. Delhi, who was chronically lame, has since died. Vana Mana and Sonja remain with their abusive trainer, Lars Hölscher, touring with circuses across Europe. Their trainer now uses different names for himself and the elephants.
In Sweden last year, Vana Mana and Sonja – now known as Ghandi and Baby – were forced to perform by their trainer at Cirkus Skott. After their identity was discovered, Cirkus Scott announced that it would stop using wild animals.
’The Hundred-Year-Old Man’ bills itself as a comedy, but there is nothing funny about the shocking abuse of poor Vana Mana.
Experts agree that the use of wild animals in entertainment causes suffering, a fact that is becoming more widely known by the public and the film industry.
If you care about animals, please avoid ‘The Hundred-Year-Old Man’ and other films that use live, performing animals instead of CGI.
Take action!
- Urge director Felix Herngern not to use animals in future productions – contact him via his agent, Johanna von Seth at johanna@flx.se.
- Watch the ADI expose of the Great British Circus
- Find out more about our animals in entertainment campaign