In 2021 the Dirty Three musician co-founded Ellis Park, a refuge in the Indonesian jungle. The decision was a no-brainer – but an ensuing documentary proved a bigger challenge
W
hen the pandemic forced musicians all over the world to cancel tours, Warren Ellis decided to take his career in a new direction. From the bounds of his home he co-founded an animal sanctuary in Sumatra, Indonesia.
In 2021 the Dirty Three virtuoso and Nick Cave collaborator was introduced to the veteran animal rights activist Femke den Haas. Together they established the centre for old, disabled and displaced animals who couldn’t be released into the wild.
The sanctuary – Ellis Park – now lends its name to a documentary by the True History of the Kelly Gang film-maker Justin Kurzel: a stirring portrait of the park’s inhabitants and dedicated caretakers.
