Summary
Overview
Primatologist Tara Stoinski returns to discuss the new documentary 'A Gorilla Story,' which follows Pablo's gorilla family through dramatic power struggles, infanticide, and complex social dynamics captured over two years of filming. The conversation explores parallels between gorilla behavior and human society, the importance of long-term wildlife studies, and conservation efforts that have helped mountain gorillas increase from 250 to 1,000 individuals.
Introduction and Personal Updates
Tara travels from Atlanta, where she lives near the zoo with her two daughters, now 19 and 17. Her older daughter attends Duke University and has fully embraced Duke basketball culture, while her younger daughter is deciding between colleges. They discuss the challenges of being a single mom while frequently traveling to Rwanda for gorilla research, typically spending about once a quarter there, with longer trips during summer when her daughters would join her.
- Tara's been in Atlanta for 30+ years after growing up outside Philadelphia
- Her older daughter is a sophomore at Duke and loves it there
- She typically travels to Rwanda once a quarter, staying no more than three weeks during school year
- Her daughters spent summers in Rwanda but couldn't see gorillas until age 15
The Documentary's Origins and David Attenborough's Connection
The documentary began during COVID when Silverback Films connected with Tara to discuss what would make a compelling gorilla story. They pitched Pablo's group, which had broken every record as the largest gorilla family ever documented at 65 members. The connection to David Attenborough proved perfect, as he had famously met Pablo as a three-year-old in 1978, creating one of the most iconic moments in wildlife filmmaking history.
- Filming started during COVID after producers questioned if gorillas do enough to make a film
- Pablo's group was the largest gorilla family ever recorded at 65 members
- David Attenborough had met Pablo as a three-year-old in 1978 in an iconic moment
- The original group split in 1993 when Pablo formed his own family at age 18
" Do gorillas actually do enough to make an entire film about them? "
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