Documentary about saving primates to be shown at the Columns

MILFORD — The award-winning “Whisperers and Witnesses” by filmmakers Wendy Stuart Kaplan and Alan Kaplan will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, at The Columns Museum, 608 Broad St., Milford.
In this segment of “Visual Journeys,” the Kaplans of Mlford travel to Cameroon to explore the story of two extraordinary women, Rachel Hogan, director of Ape Action Africa, and Dr. Sheri Speede, director of Sanaga Yong Chimpanzee Rescue, and the selfless commitment they share.
Both women are fighting to save gorillas and chimpanzees from poachers in the depths of the Cameroonian jungle. Along the way the Kaplans meet other remarkable people fighting an irrefutable war against "bushmeat" in Africa.
The Kaplans ask: "As we learn about the commitment of these women and our connection to these primates who share 98 percent of our DNA, we wonder, 'What can we do now before it’s too late?' When your eyes connect with these formidable primates, there is a deep, overwhelming connection that cannot be explained, much like love at first sight. Though, even harder to explain is how we can allow these beautiful creatures to be massacred in the name of profit and greed."
In "Whisperers and Witnesses" the filmmakers search for answers, and ways to save these primates from extinction. The film won Best Documentary at the Chelsea Film Festival.
A wine a cheese reception precedes the screening. Afterward, the Kaplans will lead a question-and-answer session.
The suggested donation is $5.
To donateDonations to help the primates may be made through apeactionafrica.org and sychimprescue.org.