On the 23rd of April, the lecture hall of the Koningsberger building in Utrecht filled up with many excited people for the first Dutch screening of A Life Among Elephants — one of the biggest Future for Nature events to date.

The documentary tells the story of Iain Douglas-Hamilton, pioneering researcher and conservationist who devoted his life to the protection of African elephants. From forming extraordinary bonds of trust with wild elephants in the bush, to fighting relentlessly through the peak of the poaching epidemic and ivory trade crisis, Iain's story is one of rare courage and passion. The film had the audience completely captivated, with more than a few shocked faces when Iain approached wild elephants closer than most would ever dare. But it was the scenes of the poaching epidemic that hit hardest, and some even had to wipe away a few tears.

Following the screening, we had the opportunity for a live Q&A with the producer of the film, Justin Purefoy, who shared wonderful stories about Iain and the making of the film. One moment that stayed with everyone was Justin describing how Iain has this rare ability to truly fill you with his passion, you leave his presence feeling like you want to go out and change the world. Justin also revealed that he is currently working on his next documentary, a deeply personal and emotional quest across Africa to find a baby chimpanzee he met 19 years ago in South Sudan. the documentary will explore the effects of war, trafficking and poverty on wildlife, and what our connection to these incredible animals really means. Needless to say, the audience was very excited to watch more of his amazing films.

The evening was made even more special by a heartfelt video message from Saba Douglas-Hamilton — Iain's daughter and a proud member of the Future for Nature family — who shared some kind and inspiring words specially for the audience of the evening. As she said so beautifully in the film: "may he be the wind underneath the wings of the next generation, and learn them to fly”. 

It was a truly unforgettable evening, and we hope it left everyone with a renewed sense of passion and purpose for nature conservation. We are incredibly grateful to Justin for sharing his film and his stories with us, and to everyone who helped make this event possible. And we will certainly be keeping a close eye on Justin's next chapter.