Do Elephants Pray?

Callum Cutter (Jonnie Hurn) is a fastidious thrity-something head of his own failing advertising agency experiencing an existential crisis as he struggles to find meaning in his soulless, corporate world.  His only solace is his bi-weekly Tai Chi class and the coffee and cigarettes he is addicted to.  His life needs a change and it comes in the form of Malika (Julie Dray, in her first English-lamguage role), a stunning free-spirited, French hippie unbound by societal conventions or responsibilities, who enchantingly appears without warning and immediately starts to question everything he believes in and relies upon.

Through her unique blend of psychology and seduction, she persuades Callum to abandon his make-or-break advertising campaign for a few soul-searching days roughing it in a forest in her native France.  While his employees mutiny at his company, the normally immaculate Callum is subjected to a series of increasingly demoralizing trials that tease his mind and taunt his perception of the world, culminating in an intense moment of catharsis at the ominously named “Lake of No Return.”  Callum not only finds the hidden meaning to his unfulfilled life, but also the perfect way to sell his unsellable product.

Featuring stand-out performances its stellar leads, particularly by the beautiful, sexy French TV actress Julie Dray, in her first English-language role, the film evokes the spirit of the intimate, personal films of the 1970s.  Do Elephants Pray? is an ethereal drama that baits the spirit and demands answers to questions that may or may not exist.  A reminder that the journey is the destination.

In attendance: Julie Dray, Actress