Unlocking the Cage follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. Arguing that cognitively complex animals such as chimpanzees, whales, dolphins and elephants have the capacity for limited personhood rights, Steve and his legal team are making history by filing the first lawsuits that seek to transform a chimpanzee from a “thing” with no rights to a “person” with legal protections. Unlocking the Cage captures a monumental shift in our culture, as the public and judicial system show increasing receptiveness to Steve’s impassioned arguments. It is an intimate look at a lawsuit that could forever transform our legal system, and one man’s lifelong quest to protect “nonhuman” animals. A First Run Features Release in Association with HBO Documentary Films.

Director Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker
Actors Steven M. Wise, Natalie Prosin, Elizabeth Stein, Mary Lee Jensvold, Sue Savage-Rumbaugh
Genre Documentary
Run Time 1 hour 31 minutes

In Theatres May 25th, 2016