Legendary Australian musician Warren Ellis takes us on a guided tour through his world and one very special animal sanctuary.

Warren Ellis is probably best known to most as the multi-instrumentalist who has been a regular collaborator with Nick Cave over the past 30 years, with his now trademark lengthy beard a familiar sight when going to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. ‘Ellis Park’ is ostensibly a documentary about a wildlife sanctuary Ellis has purchased in Sumatra in Indonesia and donated to the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, but it is also an insight into who Ellis is as a person and how his upbringing and surroundings have shaped the man he is today. For anyone interested in animals or in Ellis’s music, it offers a rewarding experience.

Sumatra is one of the Indonesian islands which is home to many native species, and it is also one of the places in the world most at risk from poaching and land development that destroys the local ecosystem. A group of activists had been operating the Sumatra Wildlife Centre to care for injured and rescued animals (often shown in heartbreaking scenes – this isn’t always an easy watch), with the minimal funding they could pull together, so Ellis’s intervention has been a huge development for the animals and the activists.

Going in, I expected more of a wildlife documentary than an insight into Ellis, so I was a little surprised at how much time we spent with Ellis in the studio and at the home where he grew up with his parents, talking about his childhood, relationship with parents and key motivations. As you watch ‘Ellis Park’ though, it becomes clear that everything is linked and Ellis’s desire to set up this sanctuary is driven from his past experiences, which are well explored through Justin Kurzel’s unobtrusive direction.

‘Ellis Park’ is an enjoyable documentary that offers an insight into Warren Ellis through the prism of his support for mistreated and injured animals – if you’re a fan, it’s well worth seeking out.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Justin Kurzel

Starring: Warren Ellis & Femke den Haas

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt32879751/