Boston area premiere of "Cages of Shame"

The compelling documentary, “Cages of Shame,” recounting animal welfare nonprofit Animal Asia’s rescue of ten bears from a bile farm in China, will see its Boston-area premiere at The Somerville Theater on Saturday, February 23rd. Complimentary vegan refreshments will be served at 7PM, with the screening at 7:30PM.

Animals Asia works to end the barbaric bear bile trade, which sees over 10,000 bears—mainly moon bears but also sun bears and brown bears—kept on bile farms in China, and around 2,400 in Vietnam.

The work of UK-born Australian film director Martin Guinness, and featuring narration by Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Coyote, “Cages of Shame” is a feature length film focusing on the closedown of the last bear bile farm in China’s Shandong province and subsequent rescue of the animals from an excruciatingly painful existence there.

Offering a window into Animals Asia’s life-saving work, the film presents gripping insight into the inspiring bear rescue missions carried out by the organization—following one particular journey to save the lives of a group of ten bears. After an urgent race against time along a 1,500 mile journey, the bears safely arrive at their new home, Animals Asia’s expansive and placid bear sanctuary in Chengdu, China.

“Cages of Shame” was awarded the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) 2011 ACE Documentary Film Grant, selected as the winner of the prestigious award by a panel of judges that included industry professionals from Animal Planet, HBO, and the Documentary Channel.