Presented as part of the Chicago Filmmakers Environmental Film Series, The Whale is a remarkable true story about Luna, a young killer whale, who is orphaned off the coast of British Columbia, and adopted by the residents of Nootka Sound. Luna quickly endears himself to them by demonstrating affection and an ability to communicate, and indeed seems to thrive on human contact until the government steps in to separate them for the animal’s own protection. Full of beautiful scenery and strange twists, The Whale also raises compelling questions about the emotional lives of animals that continue to elude human understanding. (D. Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit, 2011, 85 min.)

Free, Buttercup Park, 4901 N. Sheridan, Chicago