Checkpoint Zoo w/ Director/Writer/Producer Joshua Zeman
Wednesday, November 12 · view days & times
Venue: Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas
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2024 | NR | 1 hr 43 mins
Directed by: Joshua Zeman
In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, was turned into a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them, was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark.
In addition to being a cultural center, Feldman Ecopark was an animal sanctuary that offered countless therapy programs to everyone from soldiers with PTSD to children with special needs. As the war ravaged on, and the shelling increased, it was clear that the bravery of the staff wouldn’t be enough to save the animals trapped inside. With the help of four young volunteers, these real-life heros would undertake a seemingly impossible mission – they would risk life and limb to evacuate over 5,000 animals, including dangerous predators, and deliver them to safety.
Drawing from first-hand footage, filmmaker Joshua Zeman's Checkpoint Zoo showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine's darkest hours -- shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst.
This film will be followed by a live in-person Q&A with Director/Writer/Producer Joshua Zeman.
Joshua Zeman
Joshua Zeman has become one of the leading voices in documentary filmmaking. His critically acclaimed 2009 film Cropsey is considered one of the top true crime documentaries of the past decade.
In 2017, Zeman executive produced and directed The Killing Season for A&E, an unscripted docuseries also executive produced by Jigsaw Productions and Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology). The Killing Season delves into the unsolved Long Island Serial Killer Case and the marginalized victims who have yet to find justice. In 2019, Zeman directed Murder Mountain, a 6-part docu-series for Netflix that examines a case of vigilante justice set against the outlaw marijuana growers of Humboldt County. The series has been called “a must-watch” by The Daily Beast and was one of the most-watched series on Netflix in 2020. In early 2021, Zeman executive-produced and directed The Sons Of Sam, a docu-series for Netflix. It profiles an obsessive journalist’s journey down the rabbit hole of the Son of Sam case and is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti. Zeman also created the Netflix companion podcast Searching For The Sons Of Sam.
On the narrative side, New Line and Forensic Films optioned Zeman’s first screenplay, Fresh Kills. Zeman received a MacDowell Colony Fellowship and the San Francisco Film Society Screenwriting/Djerassi Residency Award for his screenplay Collider. He also directed the short The Best Man For The Job, starring David Call (Two Gates of Sleep, Tiny Furniture).
As a producer/co-producer, some of Zeman’s past narrative credits include The Station Agent (Audience Award and Screenwriting Award, Sundance Film Festival), Mysterious Skin (Venice Film Festival, nominated for IFP Gotham Award), The Hawk Is Dying (Sundance Film Festival, Directors Fortnight, Cannes) and Against The Current (Sundance Film Festival).
*Ages 25 and under & senior discounts apply at the box office only.
Schedule
- Wednesday, November 12, 2025 @ 7:15 PM 11/12/2025 07:15 PM 11/12/2025 10:15 PM 15 Checkpoint Zoo w/ Director/Writer/Producer Joshua Zeman https://www.steelstacks.org/event/17750/checkpoint-zoo-w-directorwriterproducer-joshua-zeman/ Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas false MM/DD/YYYY
Venue Information
Frank Banko Alehouse CinemasArtsQuest Center
101 Founders Way
Bethlehem, PA 18015
610-332-1300
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