By: Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11/16/2024 – Animal extinction is a part of nature, at times the result of changing climate or the inability of a species to adjust to changes in its environment. Throughout history extinction rates have remained fairly constant, with short periods of mass extinctions – the rapid, extensive loss. Mass extinctions occur when a large number of species go extinct in a short geological period of time.
Experts say that our planet Earth is currently experiencing one of these mass extinction events. One hundred years ago, there were 500 more species of animals on our planet than there are today, and the cause of the decline can be laid at the feet of mankind.
It is an important topic that has serious consequences and people have been sounding the alarm for years, stressing the critical nature of mass extinction. Filmmaker Kelly Yu is taking a different approach to her message on this topic – a “mocumentary.”
Yu’s film “Endling” is shot in documentary style and presents a poignant contrast between two individuals’ approaches to a deeply symbolic task: caring for the last goldfish in the world, Pao Pao. Richard Chen embodies a deeply personal, emotional connection to the goldfish. His role as its caretaker highlights the fragility of life, as he tends to Pao Pao with a sense of duty, almost reverence.
Through his documentary-style narration, Richard reflects on the importance of this job, possibly seeing Pao Pao as a symbol of resilience, memory, or even redemption in a world that has lost so much.
In contrast, Bat Zenilman, played by Ava Capri, offers a pragmatic, scientific perspective. As an ichthyologist, her focus is on the broader implications of Pao Pao’s survival—not as a creature deserving of emotional care, but as the last representative of a species that possibly holds the key to scientific breakthroughs.
“Her focus is on the potential genetic secrets that could lead to cures for human disorders, framing the goldfish as a resource rather than a being with intrinsic value,” Yu said.
Click below to see our exclusive interview:
The stark contrast between Richard’s emotional, caretaking role and Bat’s scientific, utilitarian perspective creates a layered narrative. It explores themes of conservation, extinction, the value of life, and humanity’s relationship with nature. As a documentary-style film, it may raise questions about how we as a society value life—whether for its emotional significance or its utility to human advancement.
Filmmaker Yu said she was inspired to write “Endling” by a piece she read in Atlantic magazine, about a man who uprooted his life and relocated to Hawaii to care for the last surviving tree snail that was endemic to the island. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Times, Yu said she learned the term “endling,” which means something that will never return, from the article.
She noted that there have been so many “endlings” that have come and gone in our history and some of them have been given more attention and value than certain others.
“I found that incredibly tragic but beautiful and poetic,” Yu said. “That kind of inspired me to think about what if it were goldfish, this mundane species that doesn’t really have that much of an importance to our ecosystem or to society, aside from being kind of ornamental house pets.”
Yu said that caused her to think about purpose and how we determine the value of things in our world. She added that a personal experience within her family also played a big part in inspiring her to write this thought-provoking short film.
“Watching a loved one in my family battle depression over the notion that your worth to society is determined by your contribution during our brief time on Earth,” she said. “Our value is determined oftentimes by our contribution to society and the work that we do.”
Dennis Dunn, who plays caretaker Richard Chen, should be familiar to audiences from his work in films like Big Trouble in Little China and The Last Emperor along with Ava Capri as scientist Bat Zenilman, both garnered high praise from Yu.
“Richard is just wonderful, and Ava is an amazing, amazing actress,” Yu said. “I’ve been a big fan of hers for a very long time.”
Elaine Rivkin, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Andrea Lee Davis and Mike Bash round out the outstanding cast.
“Endling” was produced by Connor Williams and Po Wei Su, with an executive producing team of Constanza Castro, Domenica Castro, Naomi Funabashi, Travis Eng, Rishi Rahani and Lena Waithe. Gus Bendinelli did an outstanding job as cinematographer and Alex Mansour composed the musical soundtrack.
