Giraffada

Ziad, a ten-year-old boy living in the West Bank, is so enamored of the two giraffes at the Qalquilya Zoo that he can communicate with them. Ziad enjoys helping his recently widowed father, Yacine, a veterinarian who works hard to protect the zoo as a haven for animals and for the local children who play and learn there. When one of Ziad’s beloved giraffes is lost in an airstrike, Yacine is determined to bring a new mate from the Safari Ramat Gan park in Israel. Inspired by a true story, Giraffada beautifully illustrates the bond that can grow between animals and children while raising important questions about social justice and the tragic toll of political conflict. Animal death (unseen), romantic relationship between adults, consumption of alcohol, political unrest, shelling, and the effects of an airstrike. In English, Arabic, and Hebrew with English subtitles read aloud. (85 mins., DCP)