OFFICIAL SELECTION OF THE 20th ANUAL MARTHA’S VINEYARD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, was turned into a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them, was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark. More than just a zoo, Feldman Ecopark was an animal sanctuary that offered countless therapy programs to everyone from soldiers with PTSD to children with special needs. As the war ravaged on, and the shelling increased, it was clear that the bravery of the staff wouldn’t be enough to save the animals trapped inside. With the help of four young volunteers, these zookeepers would undertake a seemingly impossible mission — they would risk life and limb to evacuate over 5,000 animals, including scores of dangerous predators, and deliver them to safety. Drawing from first-hand footage, Award-winning filmmaker Joshua Zeman’s Checkpoint Zoo showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours. shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst.
“A prolific producer whose prior directorial projects were largely in a true-crime vein, Zeman brings considerable polish as well as suspense to this exercise in more urgent, you-are-there documentary narrative.” – Variety
Joshua Zeman is one of the leading filmmakers in immersive documentary storytelling. His first film, CROPSEY, is considered one of the top true crime docs of all time. Zeman has also EP’d and directed numerous investigative docu-series, including THE KILLING SEASON, executive produced by Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney — and the acclaimed Netflix series MURDER MOUNTAIN. Zeman also EP and directed THE SONS OF SAM, a 4-part series for Netflix narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti.
Most recently, Zeman wrote and directed THE LONELIEST WHALE, a cinematic quest to find the elusive “52 Hertz Whale,” that scientists believe has spent its entire life in solitude. The film, released by Bleecker Street, was EP’d by Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier and was nominated for 3 Critics Choice Awards. Hailed by such outlets as Time Magazine and NY Times the film has been called “a modern-day Moby Dick” that “will keep you on the edge of your seat.” As a narrative producer/co-producer, some of Zeman’s past credits include THE STATION AGENT (Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival), MYSTERIOUS SKIN (Venice Film Festival, Gotham Award), THE HAWK IS DYING (Sundance Film Festival, Directors Fortnight, Cannes) and AGAINST THE CURRENT (Sundance Film Festival).
