When Lambs Become Lions

Massive clouds of thick black smoke billow above blazing ivory tusk towers, as Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta condemns the catastrophic sins of the ivory trade industry and the devastating impacts it has had on his country. As the 105 tons of confiscated ivory, valued at $150 million on the black market, are ceremoniously set aflame, he sends an incontrovertible message of rejection — elephant poaching, and all those involved with it will no longer be tolerated. As the flames engulf the unsold ivory, a sight so pure and yet so morally corrupt, it’s clear that this is an effigy of those who think Kenya’s “national heritage can be sold for money.”

This is not the first visually arresting scene in When Lambs Become Lions, nor is it the last, but it is certainly the most significant as it provides the central thesis of the film. John Kasbe’s latest documentary masterfully captures gorgeously tragic scenes such as this while lending a complex humanity to the dark underbelly of the elephant-poaching industry and those who rely on it to survive.

When Lambs Become Lions focuses on three Kenyan men directly involved in the illegal exchange of elephant tusks — X, the ivory trader; Lukas the poacher; and Asan the wildlife ranger — and follows their punishing journey through the deadly business over the course of three years. X begins the film with a palpable arrogance as he proudly declares that he has “a sweet tongue and a sharp brain” and no fear in his heart. He’s easy to vilify, with his business-casual blazer and constantly ringing cellphone, but the film is careful not to condemn him, depicting his young son waiting for him at home and a long family history of involvement with the corrupt practice. X is clear to state that he never does the killing himself but instead employs Lukas, a natural-born hunter and an expert archer. Both these men risk jail, injury and even death in their pursuit of ivory and a better life.

Asan, in contrast, is a criminally underpaid wildlife ranger who lives a life full of sacrifice and hardship. His values are constantly being tested with his growing family and diminishing employment offerings — the rangers haven’t been paid by the Kenyan government in months, and there’s no sign of relief on the horizon. With a young son and a very pregnant wife at home, Asan is tasked with reconciling how to carry on. He is steadfast in his aversion to the seedy ivory money — he’s X’s cousin and a former poacher himself — but anxiously admits that his current career doesn’t offer enough to survive.

What Lambs does differently from National Geographic ivory trade documentaries is to posit the important and necessary question of choice. X and Lukas are shown explicitly remarking that they could very well embark on another line of work, yet they don’t because poaching is much more lucrative than other socially acceptable jobs. Similarly, we see Asan in his ongoing struggle to stay on the right path amid dwindling wages and growing tensions at home. They exist on two sides of the same coin, each choosing to navigate comparable problems with very different methods.

Instead of the usual wildlife doc narrative of human survival versus animal protection, When Lambs Become Lions investigates the complicated root causes behind this generational issue and showcases the devastating, not-so-clear-cut aftermath. By focusing on a poacher who “doesn’t like killing” and a ranger who used to be a poacher, Kasbe’s lens smartly explores the harsh complexities of survival, wading in the murky moral waters between circumstance and free will.

Both the poachers and rangers use violence to ensure success in their missions — it’s only the victims who are different. The rangers are portrayed in such a way that they aren’t pious superheroes, valiantly rescuing vulnerable animals from the big bad poachers. Instead, a great number of them inflict excessive acts of violence against mostly weak, desperate-to-survive offenders. They describe themselves as “hunting the hunters,” exercising little to no restraint or mercy on their targets, and, in this sense, their intentions mirror that of their enemies.

Similarly, these particular poachers are shown as active participants in a seedy trade, knowing full well that their line of work is on the wrong side of history. They watch an ivory trade protest with rolling eyes, calling it “boring,” as they wait for another buyer to call. They want more for their families and are willing to risk everything to get it. To them, the unethical industry is simply business, and as long as there is a demand for ivory, there will always be those who must provide it — so why not them?

Kasbe’s stunning cinematography does much of the heavy lifting as it creates a truly authentic sense of place and urgency. Viewers are actively engaged in the cutthroat poaching world as we run through the dry desert brush with the hunters and the hunted, and survey the thorny terrain — in all its beauty and ugliness — through breathtaking drone shots. We watch in awe as the wild giraffes freely mingle among the trees and feel the sharp pain of the poison dart hitting the unsuspecting elephant. In this way, Kasbe skillfully depicts morality and immorality not as opposing forces, but rather as paralleling truths of the Kenyan way of life. With the threat of extinction growing on all sides of the equation, the film vividly underscores the vital question of how easily circumstances can affect our priorities.

When Lambs Become Lions explores a heavy subject but is hopeful in its message as it makes one thing abundantly clear —  in life, there is always a choice.

Starts Jan. 17 at Pisgah Film House