Keiko: The Untold Story

Darkside Cinema 7/13 and 7/16

Saturday: 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Wednesday: 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM

A documentary following the story of Keiko, the first and, to date, only orca to be released back into the wild.

Keiko: The Untold Story
Theresa Demarest

DOCUMENTARY

Many Oregonians may remember Keiko's stay at the Oregon Aquarium in the 1990s, but not as widely known is what happened after his release in Iceland, where scientists attempted to reintroduce him to his family pod. Captured at two, and after 14 years in captivity, a campaign to free Keiko was organized following his appearance in the movie "Free Willy." But in real life, freeing Keiko would not be so easy. Severely underweight and in poor health, Keiko needed first to get strong enough to survive in the wild. Though his Oregon stay restored him to health, Keiko's journey to freedom had just begun. More than a decade after his release, the question of whether or not the mission succeeded continues to frame the debate regarding the fate of more than 40 other orcas still held in captivity around the world.