From cinematic UFOs to the frontlines of lion conservation
In short: While Steven Spielberg’s 1977 masterpiece redefined science fiction on the big screen, real-world encounters are currently shaping the fate of the wild. From the obsession of a telephone lineman with unidentified flying objects to a conservationist’s face-to-face promise to save a forgotten pride, the nature of 'close encounters' varies wildly.
In the realm of cinema, 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' served as a pivotal cultural turning point. Directed and written by Steven Spielberg, the 1977 film followed a telephone lineman played by Richard Dreyfuss who becomes obsessed with UFOs. The film was a massive commercial success, helping to elevate science fiction from 'drive-in B-film' status to a mainstream blockbuster genre. Actually, American revenue from horror, fantasy, and sci-fi cinema climbed from a mere 5 percent during 1971 to almost 50 percent by the 1970s' end.
The film's success was a significant financial win for Columbia Pictures, which invested in the project. This stood in stark contrast to other studio gambles of the era, such as United Artists' investment in the financially disastrous 'Heaven's Gate' (1980), which led to the company's virtual destruction as a corporate entity. While Spielberg earned his first Academy Award nomination for best director for 'Close Encounters,' his contemporary Richard Dreyfuss also achieved peak success that same year, winning an Oscar for 'The Goodbye Girl' at age 29.
Moving from the screen to the soil, a different kind of 'close encounter' is occurring in the Tana Delta region. Conservationist Raabia Hawa encountered a forgotten population of lions, leading her to commit to protecting the rare pride from severe poaching. While the film explores the mystery of the unknown, Hawa’s work addresses the tangible, urgent reality of preserving endangered species from human-driven threats.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Saving The Forgotten Lions | Close Encounters | BBC Studios
- Also: Close Encounters of the Third Kind | film by Spielberg [1977] | Britannica
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