What if you were the leader of a revolution that you didn’t know had happened? That’s the story told in The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, a documentary every bit as remarkable as the much lauded 2017 National Geographic film Jane, about chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall.
Anne Dagg has been labeled the “Jane Goodall of giraffe research,” but Dagg’s story is in many ways more remarkable because her groundbreaking work in the late 1950s was so little supported and because it has remained unknown except to other giraffe researchers until recently.
As in Jane, amazing footage from the scientist’s early days in the wilds of Africa contributes mightily to the impact of the documentary, and some of the vintage film is even restaged with present-day Dagg in poignant tableaux.
Unlike Goodall’s much heralded achievements, Dagg’s work runs headlong into a wall of sexism, and Giraffes is as much a story of shameless male chauvinism as it is of Dagg’s unflagging determination. It’s also a call to action to rescue the precipitously declining population of wild giraffes and a labor of love for director Alison Reid. She had full access to Dagg and recounts not just past but stunning present-day moments (ever see a pregnant giraffe get an ultrasound?).
Wisely, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes keeps the focus on the woman, and while viewers will learn quite a bit about giraffes, those seeking a full zoological briefing will need to consult some of Dagg’s 20-plus books. As miraculous as giraffes are in the animal kingdom, it’s the human story that will bring tears to viewers’ eyes at several points along the way.
Starts March 13 at Grail Moviehouse and Pisgah Film House
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