Checkpoint Zoo is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Joshua Zeman. The film follows a group of Ukrainian zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to rescue animals trapped in Feldman Ecopark during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics.
| Checkpoint Zoo | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joshua Zeman |
| Written by | Joshua Zeman, Daniel Lonsbury |
| Produced by | Joshua Zeman, Zachary Mortensen, Ian Davies, Torquil Jones |
| Cinematography | Nelson Hume, Olivier Sarbil |
| Edited by | Cy Christiansen, Andrew Ford, Kelly Kendrick, Daniel Lonsbury |
| Music by | Anne Nikitin |
Production companies | Ghost Robot, Noah Media Group |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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Synopsis
editThe documentary deals with the 71-day rescue mission to evacuate thousands of animals from Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark, which was shelled with Russian artillery during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.[2][3]
Production
editDirector Joshua Zeman was inspired to create the documentary after seeing a viral video of ChiChi the chimpanzee wandering Freedom Square in Kharkiv.[4] The team gathered footage from zookeepers and news reports and made trips to the site to film additional footage on ___location.[2]
Release
editCheckpoint Zoo had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024.[5]
Critical response
editThe film was praised by critics for its emotional storytelling and depiction of human-animal compassion during wartime.[2][6][7][8] Britt Collins of The Daily Beast wrote that it as "a work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness."[9] Dennis Harvey of Variety praised Joshua Zeman's direction, describing it as polished and suspenseful.[3]
Awards and honors
edit| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 2025 | Desert Views Award, Audience Award | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | |
| Annapolis Film Festival | March 2025 | Jury Prize | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 2025 | Audience Award | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | |
| Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival | April 2025 | Best Documentary | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | |
| Salem Film Festival | March 2025 | Audience Award: Best Film | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | |
| OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival | September 2025 | Jury Grand Prize | Checkpoint Zoo | Nominee | |
| Tribeca Film Festival | June 2024 | Audience Award (2nd Place) | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | [5] |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | October 2024 | Zelda Penzel "Giving Voice to the Voiceless" Award | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | [10] |
| Miami International Film Festival | April 2025 | Documentary Achievement Jury Award | Checkpoint Zoo | Won | [10] |
Gallery
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2025) |
References
edit- ^ "Checkpoint Zoo | 2024 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b c Rosenbloom, Alli (2024-06-05). "'Checkpoint Zoo' captures the risky rescue of an entire zoo amid the war in Ukraine". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b Harvey, Dennis (2025-01-08). "'Checkpoint Zoo' Review: A Wildlife Park Becomes a War Zone in Compelling Documentary". Variety. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Clements, Sara (2024-06-18). ""CHECKPOINT ZOO" - Review". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b "Checkpoint Zoo | 2024 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca.
- ^ Review®, The Peach (2024-06-10). "2024 Tribeca Film Festival – 'CHECKPOINT ZOO' Review: A flawless victory for cinema › THE PEACH REVIEW®". thepeachreview.com. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Francis, Anthony (2024-06-10). "Tribeca 2024: Documentary- Checkpoint Zoo". The Movie Revue. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Reed, Christopher Llewellyn (2024-06-07). "Tribeca Review: "Checkpoint Zoo" | Film Festival Today". Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "How Putin Got a Man Mauled to Death by a Lion". The Daily Beast. 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b "Checkpoint Zoo". Ghost Robot.