"Right now, all around the world, the animal farming industries are working with politicians to try and get certain terms banned from being able to be used by plant-based companies. With the EU considering a piece of legislation that could make it illegal to use phrases that “imitate or evoke dairy products, even if the composition or true nature of the product or service is indicated or accompanied by an expression such as “style”, “type”, “method”, “as produced in”, “imitation”, “flavour”, “substitute”, “like” or similar; This could make it illegal to even say ‘does not contain milk’.
"But this got me thinking about words the meat, dairy and egg industries use and how they hide behind euphemisms to disguise the reality of their industries. So here’s my round-up of the words the EU and other politicians should be looking to ban, if that is, they do actually care about consumer confusion." Earthling Ed
In support of their mission to bring visibility to hidden animals worldwide through compelling photography, Lantern Books and Jo-Anne McArthur have published two books – We Animals (2013) and Captive (2017). We Animals Media recently published a third, HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene (2020). These books are living documents of our complicated relationships with animals and aim to inspire solutions that will result in a kinder and healthier world for all.
WE ANIMALS (2013)
Drawn from thousands of photos taken over fifteen years, We Animals illustrates and investigates animals in the human environment: those who are used for food, fashion, entertainment, and research, as well as the lucky few who are rescued.
The book includes previously unseen photographs and a final chapter entitled “Notes from the Field”, which is a compilation of journal entries written while doing investigative work both at home and abroad.
Published by We Animals Media and distributed by Lantern Publishing & Media, available at Book Depository with FREE delivery worldwide.
In recent years, the role of zoos and aquaria as centres for conservation, education, and entertainment has been placed under scrutiny.
McArthur’s aim is to invite us to reflect on how we see, and fail to see, one another through the bars, across the moat, or on either side of the glass.
Captive is a book that will challenge our preconceptions about zoos and aquaria, and serves as a contribution to the growing analyses of the ethics of these institutions.
An unflinching book of photography about our conflict with non-human animals around the globe, as depicted through the lenses of forty award-winning photojournalists including Aitor Garmendia, Jo-Anne McArthur, and Andrew Skowron.
Through the lenses of forty photojournalists, this book shines a light on the invisible animals in our lives; those with whom we have a close relationship and yet fail to see. The stories within its pages are revelatory and brutal. They are proof of the emergency confronting animals globally, from industrial farming to climate change, and provide valuable insight into the relevance of animal suffering to human health.
HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene is a historical document, a memorial, and an indictment of what is and should never again be.
New Film Gives Us a Rare Glimpse of Animals in Transport
Moving Animals is a powerful short film about photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur’s experience documenting long-distance transport animals on their way to slaughter, shot and produced by filmmaker Miguel Endara.
“This is my world,” says McArthur. “Join me as I climb transport trucks, and stay quietly and diligently with animals as they go to slaughter. Join me in the dusty roads and at my little hotel room editing desk, as Miguel and I discuss animals, animal photojournalism and ultimately, kindness.”
Produced by We Animals Media, the film takes viewers up close and personal with anguished cows, many of whom were forced to travel thousands of miles in the back of hot and cramped vehicles. Throughout the film, we see that their pain and innocence are no different from ours. It would take a heart of stone not to be crushed by the sight of an abandoned calf struggling to walk or a cow stunned prior to slaughter.
“We have enough photos in the world of beautiful wildlife. We get it. It’s time to show the harsh reality of how the rest are living,” says McArthur.
Moving Animals is by no means easy to watch but it is essential and unforgettable all the same. McArthur and Endara provide a once-in-a-lifetime look into the lives of animals in transport.
“I’m a photographer of animals, and for animals. I help animals through photography. Photographers are influential people with great skill, but we have enough photos in the world of beautiful wildlife. We get it. It’s time to show the harsh realities of how the rest are living.”
It seems as if everywhere you turn you see or hear the word vegan. Whether it’s an advert online, a new vegan product, the news that Wagamama’s have committed to making 50% of their menu meat-free by the end of 2021, or that record numbers of people have signed up for Veganuary.
It seems as if everyone is talking about veganism and going vegan. Even animal farmers are transitioning to plant based farming
Make the switch to vegan & get all of the support you need: switchtovegan.co.uk
The Ugly Truth Behind Nike’s Kangaroo Leather Shoes Exposed in One-Minute Film
A film focusing on Nike’s use of kangaroo leather in soccer shoes is part of a global campaign to end the slaughter of wildlife for sports.
This week, a short film titled Nike profits. Kangaroos die was released to expose the hidden cruelty behind soccer shoes made with kangaroo leather (also known as “k-leather”). The 60-second film was created by Hollywood producer Gavin Polone (who previously worked on Gilmore Girls, Panic Room, and other productions) and director Derek Ambrosi (who previously directed collaborations with music legends Jay-Z and Sean Puffy Combs). Made in partnership with animal-rights group The Center for a Humane Economy (CHE), the film follows the life of Nike’s soccer cleats in a reverse sequence, from soccer field to production factory and back to the brutal killing of wild kangaroos and their joeys in Australia.
“I wanted to expose the bloody truth that is being hidden from well-intentioned consumers who may have no idea how their ‘K-leather’ shoes are being made,” Polone said. “Nike can no longer hide its responsibility for this atrocity.”
Son Of A Slaughterhouse Worker To Launch Film On Industry’s Psychological Impact
The documentary aims to 'raise awareness of the suffering experienced by slaughterhouse workers' and help 'humanize the workers'
The son of a slaughterhouse worker is releasing a film exploring the industry’s psychological impact.
Vegan advocate Jack Hancock-Fairs has created The Dying Trade. It aims to ‘raise awareness of the suffering experienced by slaughterhouse workers’ and help ‘humanize the workers’.
Hancock-Fairs says the documentary also ‘provides another reason for people to boycott animal products.
‘I want to be a slaughterhouse worker’
A new trailer for the film shows a group of children saying what they want to be when they’re older.
“I want to help animals,” one girl states. Another adds: “I want to be a scientist.” The last child says: “I want to be happy.”
The trailer then skips to the protagonist – an adult male – who appears to be having a PTSD-related nightmare. As he begins his morning, graphic memories of killing animals flash through his mind. Empty alcohol cans are scattered on the table. This depicts the link between abattoir workers and dependency issues such as alcoholism.
At the end of the trailer, he looks up and says: “When I grow up, I want to be a slaughterhouse worker.”
Over A Third Of Brits Avoiding Animal Products Due To David Attenborough’s Film
Thanks to influential public figures such as David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, Brits are taking the climate crisis much more seriously now'
More than a third (34 percent) of Brits have started ‘avoiding’ animal products due to David Attenborough’s A Life On Our Planet and The Game Changers.
The data comes from a 2,000-person survey conducted by ‘tech for good’ brand 3 SIDED CUBE.
‘David Attenborough is top of the list'
The findings show that national treasure David Attenborough is top of the list (59 percent) when it comes to putting influential pressure on consumers to make more sustainable choices. Half of Brits also feel pressure from wider society and four in 10 credit Greta Thunberg.
Moreover, 73 percent of consumers acknowledge businesses have a moral responsibility to minimize their environmental impact. And, a further 64 percent are calling on the government to introduce new legislation to make sure businesses make their environmental footprint visible on their products.
Tackling the climate crisis
Richard Strachan is the Managing Director at 3 SIDED CUBE. In a statement sent to PBN, he said: “Thanks to influential public figures such as David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, Brits are taking the climate crisis much more seriously now.
“Now is the time to come together and tackle the crisis wholeheartedly. It is not just up to governments; it is up to businesses and consumers as well.”
Gunda’ is Not Vegan Propaganda, but it is a Revolution of Empathy
Director Viktor Kossakovsky made a movie for audiences to rethink their relationship to farm animals, and earned Joaquin Phoenix's support.
No stranger to unique subject matter affecting the world at large, Russian documentarian Viktor Kossakovsky went from a project about water, “Aquarela,” to his latest one about a charismatic pig, “Gunda.” Although the idea for a film about farm animals had been percolating in his mind for over 20 years, it took him a long time to convince people these non-verbal subjects would make for an interesting story.
While making “Aquarela” and becoming aware of the challenges facing humanity, such as the fact that over one billion in the world don’t have access to clean water, he questioned our relationship to the environment. One key point being the resources utilized to produce meat, from the deforestation that feeding the animals entails to transportation. He believes the pandemic is directly related to humans’ “arrogant behavior towards nature.”
“Slowly I came to this conclusion that enough is enough. We are killing over a billion pigs a year. We are killing half a billion cows every year. We are killing over 50 billion chickens a year. We are killing over a trillion fish a year…it’s totally absurd. And we don’t even talk about it. We don’t even think about it. We ignore it. We know that breakfast didn’t appear from a tree, but we pretend we don’t know. So it’s made me think that we are creating our own grave,“ he said during a Q&A conducted for the International Documentary Association’s annual screening series.
Eventually, in his pursuit to make a movie without a human, Norwegian producer Anita Rehoff Larsen came on board. Originally they calculated it would take them between four and six months of research trips before they could find the right animals for the documentary. Shockingly for the producer, Kossakovsky found exactly what he was after in the first farm they visited.
“We just arrived, opened the door, and the first pig we saw was Gunda and I said to the producer, ‘It was obvious that she was communicating with me.’ She was definitely looking at me in such a way that I could read her emotions. I said to the producer, ‘She’s Meryl Streep. We found her. We don’t need to search anymore,” he said. And while Rehoff Larsen suggested they take the time to look at more animals, he was convinced Gunda was his porcine star.
a short animated film about climate justice with an anti-speciesist perspective ... we fly, we crawl, we swim
”we fly, we crawl, we swim - a short film about climate justice” has recently premiered this month, on the 15th of January!
The short animated film strives to think about climate justice through an anti-speciesist perspective.
It's a sort of hybrid documentary: a story of a human that wonders how to make justice possible for all living beings, walks and learns from other animals. The ideas are informed by literature and theories from political ecology, environmental justice, posthumanism, critical animal studies and anti-speciesist thought in general.
The film is created by a small team of only three people (Aron Nor, Mina Mimosa, M. Martelli) who took care of the entire production, doing research, writing, illustration, sound, animation, video and audio editing. In addition, the team worked in collaboration with actress Oana Cristina Puscatu and singer Teodora Retegan.
The animated film is 23 minutes long, in English, and is currently subtitled in English, Romanian, Italian and Spanish.
HOGWOOD has won 'Best Documentary' at the Liverpool Underground Film Festival
Today (17/01/21), HOGWOOD was awarded the Best Documentary Award at the Liverpool Underground Film Festival. The festival seeks to showcase daring, unique, and entertaining independent films that transgress convention. And now HOGWOOD is free with Amazon Prime. Celebrations all round!
“To paraphrase Werner Herzog, a filmmaker must not be a fly on the wall, but a hornet that stings. Hogwood uncovers some brutal truths of animal farming. It is as harrowing as it is vital.”
– Richard Weston, Liverpool Underground Film Festival Director
“I am thrilled that HOGWOOD has been awarded the Best Documentary Award at the Liverpool Underground Film Festival. This film encapsulates so much about Viva! – I am proud of our brilliant investigations team that consistently brings together powerful footage and of our director, Juliet, who infuses her own passion into the horror. HOGWOOD is more than just a film – it exposes the modern horror stories taking place each day, hidden away in the idyllic British countryside. The public has a right to see what goes on behind the factory farm walls.”
– Tony Wardle, Director of HOGWOOD and Associate Director of Viva!
Going Vegan Is EASY If You Do THIS! - Beginners Guide To Going Vegan 2021
Former 'meat addict' Florian Wüest reveals how he've became a vegan 6 years ago using this strategy. Going Vegan Is EASY If You Do THIS! - Beginners Guide To Going Vegan 2021.
Heavy Metal Act Rammstein Stars in 5 Minute Warhol-Style Pro Vegan Video
Plant-based meat company LikeMeat recently released an extraordinary food performance film featuring German musician Till Lindemann (Rammstein). With the art movie, LikeMeat wants to draw attention to the global and ever-growing Veganuary movement and motivate people to go vegan this January (video below).
The plant-based meat company’s food performance film features Till Lindemann eating a plant-based burger with vegan chicken made of soy protein from LikeMeat, which was acquired by The LIVEKINDLY Co.
Billie Eilish Launches Trailer For Her Upcoming Documentary
Vegan musician Billie Eilish says she is 'terrified' by the prospect of the film, which will be released in February next year.
Vegan musician Billie Eilish has launched the trailer for her upcoming documentary.
The film – called Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry – will premiere on February 26 next year in cinemas and on Apple TV+.
It will feature footage filmed over the last two and a half years, showing the young musician growing up under the spotlight.
In September 2018, a small group of us opened up a non-profit vegan restaurant in London called Unity Diner. Through opening the restaurant we wanted to show off how delicious vegan food is, but at the same time also use the money generated to open up an animal sanctuary.
Two years later it feels amazing to say that we have successfully managed to do just that, and I am so thrilled that the Surge Sanctuary is now a reality. But we couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone who has worked at Unity Diner, eaten at Unity Diner and supported the work that myself and the Surge team do. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much to all of you who have been a part of this journey so far.
We already have a group of residents who have settled in and are getting used to lounging around, eating lots of delicious food and most importantly, living their lives without being harmed or exploited. And we can’t wait to keep growing the sanctuary and welcoming more and more animals so that they too can live the life that they deserve to live.
Thank you so, so much for everything, and I hope that you enjoy this video.
Check out our website, let us know if you're able to help out & join our mailing list: surgesanctuary.org
TIKTOK: The farmers & ranchers who have a message for vegans
The farmers, ranchers and even vets of TikTok have plenty of outrageous things to say to vegans. In Earthling Ed's second TikTok response video, he goes through their arguments against veganism and react to what it is that they have to say to the vegan community.
Vegan 2020 is the latest installment in PBN's annual series of films.
Every year since 2015, PBN has released a documentary showcasing the growth of veganism over the last 12 months.
Since 2015, the annual documentary has grown bigger, attracting millions of views each year. Vegan 2018 and 2019 peaked, premiering in cities around the world, including London, Los Angeles, and Beijing.
Vegan 2020 charts the victories and challenges of the movement over a year which has seen the world in general change beyond recognition.
Vegan 2020 is sponsored by abillion - an awesome app that helps you find the best vegan food and products near you!
This film is free to watch, however if you wish to make a small donation to help it reach more people, please consider supporting PBN here: plantbasednews.org/supportus
Joaquin Phoenix a 'perfect match' for black-and-white vegan documentary
Many people stopped eating meat after watching the film
Joaquin Phoenix's latest film isn't an easy watch – and given its stark anti-meat agenda, it isn't meant to be.
The Joker star and vegan activist executive-produced Gunda, a stripped-down, black-and-white movie delivering intimate portraits of a cast of adorable farmyard animals.
The film has no narration, dialogue or plot. But as viewers get to know Gunda the Norwegian pig and her litter of squealing newborn piglets living their everyday lives, their inevitable fate looms.
"The life of piglets is obvious. They become sausages," said director Victor Kossakovsky.
"But Gunda, she became so famous... so many people stopped eating meat (due to the film) that the owner of the farm decided she will live until the end of her days.
"So at least one pig is alive after this."
The Flat House Factory ... End Factory Farming Before It Ends Us – a Viva! campaign film.
WHAT DOES THE OWNER OF ONE OF BRITAIN’S BIGGEST AND WORST PIG FARMS HAVE TO SAY FOR HIMSELF?
Join Viva!’s founder and director, Juliet Gellatley, as she finds out what is really happening behind the closed doors of a mega farm and confronts the farm owner.
This dramatic film launches our ground-breaking campaign ‘End Factory Farming Before it Ends Us’.
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