The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie Review

A moving documentary about a passionate Giraffe expert

An absorbing documentary about a woman's unending life-long passion for wild life, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes explores the journey of Anne Innis Dagg as she began her studies of Giraffes at 23 years old. Anne went to South Africa in 1956 in search of answers about Giraffes and her love of the animals inspired her to dedicate her entire life to studying them. Executive produced by Paul Zimic (The Baby Formula, Never Enough), The Woman Who Loves Giraffes is essential viewing for any nature fans with a love for the long-necked animal.

The documentary explores the epic journey of Anne as she went from a youth who was passionate about Giraffes to becoming an adult woman who eventually penned “the bible” on Giraffes: The Giraffe: Its biology, behavior, and ecology (1976). Used as a resource by nearly everyone in the profession of studying Giraffes, Anne is one of the leading experts in her field of study. The film showcases interviews with many experts who champion her expertise and the importance of her important book.

As the documentary unfolds, Anne recounts some of her experiences studying Giraffes. She gives information to viewers about their habitat, their mating life, and their behaviors. There is so much to learn. Learning about Giraffes from Anne is entertaining and eye-opening. (She even discusses how the Giraffe could demonstrated homosexuality and other surprising mating facts). As a novice on how Giraffe's live their lives, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes is a perfect beginner handbook.

A lifelong love of Giraffes.

The courageous 86 year old also discusses the obstacles she has faced in her teaching career. The film delves into a sexist rejection of tenure she faced after five years of teaching (with her credentials and recommendations by world-renowned individuals crediting her as the leading expert in the study of Giraffe's in the world). The battle Anne faced due to the sexism of the school leadership takes on a portion of the documentary and thereby the film explores women's rights activism. A chapter in her storied life.

The production of The Woman Who Loves Giraffes impresses on many levels. The cinematography by Dale Hildebrand (Road to the Lemon Grove), Lainie Knox (Healey's Hideaway), and Iris Ng (The Ghosts in Our Machine) is stunning to behold. The documentary has so many fascinating shots showcasing the beauty and majesty of Giraffes that these cinematographic wonders are worth the price of admission alone. The music score by Tom Third (The Summit, Survival Code) also adds to the film's narrative and helps the filmmaking have real weight.

Alison Reid (Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland) directed the documentary with as much passion as can be seen radiating from Anne herself throughout the film. Reid makes sure to cover the full history of Anne (from her spirited youth to adulthood). The focus on Giraffes and their place in our eco-system is also terrific and insightful. Anyone with an interest in learning more about the animals and their place on our planet would do well to check out this insightful, intelligent, and moving documentary.

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. This is a beautiful encode of the documentary which does an exceptional job of preserving the cinematography. The film does feature some archival footage showcasing Anne Dagg in action (while researching the Giraffes) and the footage is in generally excellent shape given the age and quality of the elements used. 

Though the bulk of the film does maintain a widescreen ratio some of the archival footage is in 4:3 (full frame). Color reproduction is impressive and the natural modern-day cinematography has a pristine digital appearance to it. Viewers will certainly find this to be a well-produced documentary that has been beautifully presented in high-definition.

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release includes two unique lossless audio options: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD master audio 2.0. Either track will provide viewers with an impressive high-resolution sound experience. The surround sound track is altogether minimalistic and only utilizes the surrounds for some occasional ambiance and to expand the music in the documentary to the surrounds. Though the track isn't that showy the clarity and detail is excellent. Dialogue is consistently crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Kino has done an excellent job.

Optional English SDH (for the deaf and hard of hearing) and French subtitles are provided.

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes an impressive selection of deleted footage as detailed below.

Deleted Scenes:

Bottle Feeding Buddy in Texas (HD, 3:12)

Anne & Daughter Reflections (HD, 4:14)

Eco Kids South Africa (HD, 3:27)

Independent Studies (HD, 1:20)

Washington March (HD, 3:41)

Alternate Ending (HD, 3:00)

The release also includes a selection of short question and answer footage featuring Anne Innis Dagg discussing her involvement with the study of Giraffes.

Doc Soup Q&A:

Giraffe Love (HD, 3:00)

Conservation (HD, 6:01)

Treasure Trove (HD, 2:35)

Apology (HD, 1:03)

Anne & Jane Goodall (HD, 1:38)

Scripted Version (HD, 2:42)

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:14)

The release also includes trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (HD, 1:55), Working Woman (HD, 1:46), Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blanche (HD, 2:27), and Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (HD, 1:19).

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An outstanding documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes is an essential view for anyone who wants to learn more about the mysterious long-necked animal and the woman who dedicated her life to studying them: Anne Innis Dagg. The film is beautifully made (with stunning cinematography) and the interviews with Anne and others close to her are insightful. The Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films features a solid presentation. Animal lovers and Giraffe nerds would do well to pick it up. Highly recommended.