10 animal movies based on true events

Movies about animals are not always based on fiction. Sometimes they are based on real stories. We bring to your attention 10 films about animals based on real events.

White captivity

In 1958, Japanese explorers were forced to urgently leave the polar wintering, but they could not take the dogs. No one hoped that the dogs would be able to survive. In the Japanese city of Osaka, to honor the memory of four-legged animals, a monument was erected to them. But when a year later the polar explorers returned for the winter, people were joyfully greeted by dogs.

Based on these events, transferring them to modern realities and making the main characters their compatriots, the Americans made the film “White Captivity”.

The film “White Captivity” was based on real events

Hachiko

Not far from Tokyo is Shabuya station, which is decorated with a monument to the dog Hachiko. For 10 years, the dog came to the platform to meet the owner, who died in a Tokyo hospital. When the dog died, all the newspapers wrote about her fidelity, and the Japanese, having collected money, erected a monument to Hachiko.

The Americans again transferred the real story to their native soil and to the modern world, creating the film “Hachiko”.

In the photo: a frame from the film “Hachiko”

Frisky

The legendary black horse named Ruffian (Squishy) became a champion at the age of 2 and won 10 races out of 11 in another year. She also set a speed record. But the last, 11th race did not bring good luck to Quick … This is a sad and true story about the short life of a racehorse.

In the photo: a frame from the film “Quirky”, based on real events

Champion (Secretariat)

Red Thoroughbred Secretariat in 1973 did what no other horse could achieve for 25 years: he won 3 of the most prestigious Triple Crown races in a row. The film is the success story of the famous horse.

In the photo: a frame from the film “Champion” (“Secretariat”), which was based on the real story of the legendary horse

We bought a zoo

The family (father and two children) by chance turns out to be the owner of the zoo. True, the enterprise is clearly unprofitable, and in order to stay afloat and save the animals, the main character will have to seriously work – including on himself. In parallel, solving family problems, because being a good single father is very, very difficult …

‘We Bought a Zoo’ Based on a True Story

A street cat named Bob

The main character of this film, James Bowen, cannot be called lucky. He is trying to overcome drug addiction and stay afloat. Bob helps in this difficult task – a stray cat, who was adopted by Bowen.

In the photo: a frame from the movie “A Street Cat Named Bob”

Red Dog

A red dog wanders into the tiny town of Dampier, lost in the vastness of Australia. And unexpectedly for everyone, the tramp changes the lives of the inhabitants of the town, saving them from boredom and giving joy. The film is based on a book by Louis de Bernires based on a true story.

“Red Dog” – a film based on real events

Everyone loves whales

3 gray whales are trapped in ice off the coast of a small town in Alaska. A Greenpeace activist and a reporter are trying to unite the locals to help the unfortunate animals. The film restores the belief that each of us has the power to change the world.

In the photo: a frame from the movie “Everybody Loves Whales”

zookeeper’s wife

World War II brings grief to almost every Polish family. She does not bypass the caretakers of the Warsaw Zoo Antonina and Jan Zhabinsky. The Zhabinskys are trying to save the lives of others, risking their own – after all, harboring Jews is punishable by death… 

The Zookeeper’s Wife is a film based on a true story.

History of the favorite

This film is based on the story of America’s favorite thoroughbred riding stallion Seabiscuit. In 1938, at the height of the Great Depression, this horse won the Horse of the Year title and became a symbol of hope.

The same events later formed the basis of the American film “Favorite”.

In the photo: a frame from the film “The Story of a Favorite”