The Last Dolphin King (Qué le Pasó al Rey de los Delfines?) is a Spanish documentary film, released on Netflix on 25th November 2022. It is directed by Luis Ansorena and Ernest Riera and produced by Polar Star Films. It explores the rise and fall of José Luis Barbero, a famous dolphin trainer.
The film has a runtime of about 1 hour and 34 minutes and features the relatives and colleagues of Barbero, animal activists, businessmen in the marine parks industry or journalists linked to the career of one of the most renowned dolphin trainers in history.
The synopsis of the film reads, “This documentary traces the career of renowned Spanish dolphin trainer José Luis Barbero and the events leading up to his shocking death in 2015.”
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What Happened to The Last Dolphin King, José Luis Barbero?
José Luis Barbero, one of the most famous dolphin trainers in the world, was at the top of a career spanning more than three decades. Just after being hired as vice president of the prestigious Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta (United States), a blurry 99-second video is posted on the Internet: it supposedly shows Barbero mistreating dolphins (hitting them and being aggressive towards them) while training.
The images cause a scandal, but Barbero affirms that he does not recognize himself in the video. He maintains that he is innocent and that he is the victim of revenge by some former employees. The matter breaks into the news around the world, dividing those who fight to defend him and those who do not hesitate to denounce the master dolphin trainer (who receives a wave of hate on the Internet, including death threats).
After the dissemination of the video and harassment of the people, Barbero went to Mallorca to report the case to the Civil Guard. He claimed that the images had been manipulated for the sole purpose of damaging his image. And the footage was edited to cut short the hours of footage to show just the parts, which could be inferred as torturing or hitting the dolphins.
At first Barbero clearly refuted all claims in the media, from police investigating and questioning his colleagues to pulling out his past records. He was mired in the controversy which completely ruined his career and imposed danger to his family. He is portrayed as a person who seemed tough on the outside but insecure and anxious inside. A scandal like this was too much for him to handle.
On March 3, 2015, José Luis Barbero was supposed to go to the airport to pick up a veterinarian, but he did not arrive. At night, his wife reported him missing, so the police focused on finding him, although they couldn’t find any trace of him.
Four days later, on March 7, his body was inside his vehicle, which was parked at the Sont Sant Joan airport, where he had taken his own life on the fourth floor of the car park. Although his death left many dismayed, especially the people whom he had worked, there were also those who were happy for his death.
Was the video of Barbero an attempt to bring down an outdated and cruel industry, or was its real intention a personal vendetta? The question still remains and those at the heart of this dark and tragic story share their version of events for the first time, in the documentary.
The Last Dolphin King is currently streaming on Netflix.