Ghost Elephants

by Mike McGranaghan

Ghost Elephants is not a typical release from National Geographic Documentary Films. That’s because it was directed by Werner Herzog, the famed German director known for Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. When working in the nonfiction format, Herzog often brings an existential perspective. He doesn’t just show you his topics, he asks the question, “What does this mean?” In this case, he’s got a perfect subject to explore the theme of obsession, and it leads to a movie that is absolutely spellbinding.

Herzog’s subject is Steve Boyes, a conservation biologist who has spent a decade trying to track down the mythical “ghost elephants of Lisima.” He believes that, if real, these massive creatures could be descendants of the 12-ton, 14-foot-tall African Elephant housed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Boyes ventures to the forests of Angola to launch an expedition designed to track them down and extract DNA to be compared with the one in the museum. Joining him are Nat Geo Explorer Kerllen Costa and three KhoiSan master trackers, Xui, Xui Dawid, and Kobus.

A fair amount of time is spent hanging out with the team prior to embarking on the mission. Herzog closely observes their preparations and customs. That includes how one of master trackers makes poison - a process that involves locating dead bushes, digging through the sand underneath to find tiny cocoons made by the insects who feasted on them, then grinding the contents of those cocoons into a paste that gets smeared on an arrow. Another oddly compelling scene shows an academic arriving to teach the team how to effectively collect dung samples. The director brings his trademark curiosity to these sections. Most filmmakers would have been impatient to get to the hunt, but Herzog is just as interested in the build-up.

About halfway through Ghost Elephants, the group heads out on an arduous 1,000-mile trek. They start off in SUVs but eventually must rely on motorbikes to get to the most remote areas. When rivers get in the way, those bikes need to be carried across the water. The final 30 miles of the trip are on foot, so as not to make noise that would scare off the elephants.

That takes commitment. It takes a single-minded, forget-about-everything-else-in-your-life mindset. In other words, it’s quintessential Werner Herzog material. The director repeatedly checks in with Boyes, asking if it would be preferable not to know whether the ghost elephants exist. After all, by looking for them, he could inadvertently prove their nonexistence, meaning ten years’ of work was for nothing. Boyes’ answer evolves each time, although he does acknowledge that not knowing would allow them to live forever in his mind.

Ghost Elephants held me in rapt attention thanks to its in-depth look at how the desire for an answer consumes Steve Boyes. Yes, what occurs in the Angolan forests is intriguing; investigating the psychology underneath gives the documentary an uncommon level of suspense. Herzog narrates in his trademark philosophical tone, adding a touch of magic to an already hypnotic tale.

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