When Lambs Become Lions

When Lambs Become Lions is a riveting documentary film directed by Jon Kasbe that premiered in 2018. The movie offers a nuanced, empathetic, and strikingly realistic portrayal of the unfolding drama between two controversial figures—poachers and rangers—on the vibrant but fraught backdrop of Kenya's wildlife conservation scenario.

The central narrative of this unfolding tale pivots around two compelling and complex characters that are intimately connected yet exist on opposite ends of the conservation conflict. The first is 'X', an ivory trader who contemplates joining his fellows to hunt an elephant to secure a future for his young family. The other is Asan, X's cousin, who works as a wildlife ranger protecting the very wildlife that X might threaten, sometimes even risking his life in the process.

These protagonists' trials and tribulations are set amidst Kenya's expansive wildlife reserves, serving to magnify the high stakes in this story. Through their life journeys, When Lambs Become Lions explores the raw and intricate relationships between conservation and survival, ethical choices and economic realities, and above all, human struggle in face of dilemma and dire straits.

Director Jon Kasbe takes a carefully balanced and restrained stance, consciously avoiding simplistic moral judgements or vilifications of either side. Instead, he powerfully presents a candid picture of the realities prevailing on the ground. Quite often, we see local tribes with a long-standing connection to the land and the animals, finding themselves pitted against global efforts to preserve wildlife. X, the elephant poacher, and Asan, the wildlife ranger, symbolize these conflicting interests and the tenuous balance between conservation and survival, inviting the audience into their world for a closer look.

The narrative’s strength is amplified by the remarkably intimate access Kasbe was granted during the three years of filming When Lambs Become Lions. Indeed, this access allowed him to not just document one-off events and anecdotes of hunting or patrol incidents, but the very texture of the protagonists' lives and personalities. The camera travels the intricacies of their relationships, plumbs the depths of their ethical struggles, and captures their day-to-day rigors against the breathtaking setting of Kenya's wilderness.

Yet, despite the inherently controversial subject, the film resists resorting to sensation or scandal. Instead, it offers an empathetic glimpse into the complexities of wildlife conservation, trade, and illegal poaching. The audience is taken on an emotional roller-coaster, witnessing the poacher's raw struggle for survival, the ranger's resolute dedication to protecting local wildlife, and the toll their respective roles take on their relationships.

Another crucial point that emerges from the movie is that conservation is as much a socio-economic issue as an environmental one. The unpredictability of a ranger's income, the allure of the quick money involved in poaching, and the on-the-ground dilemmas faced by the locals add to the viewers' understanding of trade's problem and its human impact.

When Lambs Become Lions then is much more than a chronicle of wildlife propagation struggles. It is effectively a provocative exploration of larger contemporary themes. By observing the harsh reality of desperate survival measures, it touches on the prevailing inequities in wealth distribution globally. By foregrounding the fight against illegal animal product trade, it comments on the broader struggles against pervasive corruption.

The movie also excels in visual aesthetics and cinematography, beautifully capturing the obsessive chase of the wildlife patrol teams, the intense thrill of the clandestine poaching expeditions, and the quiet, yet simmering tension of the local communities. The stunning shots of the surrounding landscapes and fauna add an element of stark beauty that contrasts and underscores the human drama unfolding in this milieu.

In summary, When Lambs Become Lions is not an easy movie. It doesn't deal with easy issues or provide easy answers. However, its earnest engagement with its subject matter and its masterful storytelling make it a must-watch. It's a rare spotlight on an underreported crisis, a poignant ode to Kenya's wildlife, and above all, an intimate portrait of human resilience and grit in the throes of crisis and conflict.