Films can change lives. Through them, we do not just learn facts and stats, but we are drawn deep inside moving and powerful stories. We connect to other people, other communities, to the Earth, and to animals, in a way we may never have done before. We see and feel things from another’s perspective, and for many people, this leads to a lightbulb moment, where we say “ah, now I understand.” With so many excellent films available, no wonder the 8 Best Animal Rights Films is such a hotly contested field! You may agree, you may disagree, but these are our own nominations.
1. Okja
This 2017 movie made a huge splash when it was released, and helped people see what life is like for animals trapped inside the ruthless farming system. It tells the story of a young girl who raises a genetically modified pig named Okja for the meat industry. Just like many of the children in the real-life 4-H program, Mija develops a close bond with Okja, and becomes determined to save her beloved friend from being slaughtered.
Says GenV’s US Campaign Manager Jamie Logan: “I related deeply to the sense of urgency we have as activists when it comes to animal rescue. The film explores themes of animal welfare and highlights the harsh realities of factory farming. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking movie that encourages viewers to reflect on their own attitudes towards animals, and perhaps their own role in animal suffering.”
2. Why I’m A Vegan
This TED talk by Moby is, as you might expect, his story of becoming vegan, starting with the animals who he says raised him. He talks of the dogs and cats who were a calming presence when his home life was chaotic. But, he says, he also loved hamburgers and hotdogs… He says: “It was like this phrenological paradox, like there was this wall built in the middle of my brain, and this side loved animals with their decency and their kindness, and this side of the wall loved eating animals.”
Says GenV’s Argentina Campaign Manager Jaqueline Guzmán: “The way Moby explains the cognitive dissonance that we as humans experience when loving certain animals but exploiting others for food is moving. Then one day, he rescued a small kitten called Tucker, found abandoned in a cardboard box, and he made the connection.”
3. BoJack Horseman
OK, this is a curveball! In the second series of this animated comedy is an episode called “Chickens” which takes a uniquely sarcastic approach to the subject of chicken exploitation. In this episode, a chicken named Becca, escapes from a truck after a crash and Todd, one of the characters, tries to save her from being taken to the slaughterhouse by the police. In one scene, Tom, a journalist interviews Mike, the CEO of the farm:
Tom: How do you respond to allegations that factory farming is “torture,” or “cruel,” or “like a terrifying movie about some strange dystopian society, but in this monster story, the horrifying monsters are us?”
Michael: Relax, Tommy, everything we do is completely legal and FDA-approved, so, therefore, it is fine.
Tom: I have no follow-up questions.
Todd decides to leave Becca in a free-range farm but then realizes that she will die there anyway and goes back to the farm to break and free her.
4. Modern Warrior
One of the most poignant and memorable films we have seen is the TED talk by “Modern Warrior” Damien Mander. In it, he recounts a trip to Africa that left him face to face with the horrors of wildlife poaching, and changed his life forever. Soon after founding the International Anti-Poaching Federation (IAPF), Damien recalls the moment he realized that protecting one species while consuming another was hypocritical and speciesist. “Does a cow value its life more than I enjoy a barbecue?” he’d asked himself. The answer, of course, was yes.
Says GenV’s CEO Naomi Hallum: “Towards the end of his TED Talk, Damien said words I’ll never forget: ‘Suffering is suffering, and murder is murder. And the more helpless the victim, the more horrific the crime.’ He then asks his audience if, next time they have an opportunity to make a difference for animals, they’ll be brave enough to do so. With Damien’s powerful story impressed upon my mind, I knew my own answer was ‘yes.’”
5. Man
Since its release in 2012, this short animation has taken the world by storm, having been seen tens of millions of times. It opens on a landscape 500,000 years ago, with animals quietly going about their business, when suddenly a human drops into the frame. He starts walking and soon meets a bug. His first act is to squash the animal, and congratulate himself for his violence. Pretty soon, we get the picture that this is not going to be an uplifting film, but more a summary of the tyranny man has brought to the natural world. Snakes get turned into boots, chickens are fattened up and fried, ducks are shot from the sky, and elephants are killed for piano keys.
Says GenV’s Director of Communications Kate Fowler: “In three minutes, animator Steve Cutts displays the dangerous entitlement, the might-is-right attitude, that has led to the destruction of our fellow beings and the Earth itself by humans. The film culminates with some sort of justice meted out, but the widespread disregard for others’ lives stays with you long after the closing bars of music have ended.”
6. 73 Cows
This 15-minute documentary by filmmaker Alex Lockwood tells the story of Jay Wilde, a beef farmer who underwent a change of heart as he became more conscious of the animals’ feelings. Through Jay’s moving narrative, and that of his wife Katja, we see the trauma of this awakening, and the sense of deep betrayal they felt for those already killed. It’s a poignant, heart-rending film, and beautifully shot, which fully deserves the BAFTA it won for a British Short Film. And wonderfully, this film has a happy ending. The final herd of 73 cows were able to stay together and were moved to a sanctuary, while Jay’s mental anguish has abated, allowing him to look to the future again.
7. Earthlings
No list of the best animal rights films would be complete without this powerhouse, which documents the many ways in which animals are subjugated, exploited, harmed, and slaughtered by humans for humans. There is no softening of the message, no room to allow for excuses. The film unflinchingly shows what our food, clothing, and entertainment choices mean for the lives around us.
Says GenV’s India Campaign Manager Rithika Ramesh: “I remember watching Earthlings in parts because it was incredibly hard to watch it in one go. The film covers everything from puppy mills to farmed animals and animals in laboratories. It basically showed me everything that I had already read about, but when I watched it, it hit me harder. It made my resolve stronger that there was no way I could continue to be part of this cycle. Not much has changed for the animals since the film released in 2005, but it is one of those films that leaves an ever-lasting impact to urge us to continue the fight for animal liberation.”
8. Chicken Run
This much-loved stop-motion animation sees an ensemble cast of hens attempting to escape from the egg farm in which they are held prisoners by the cruel Tweedys. One hen, Ginger, leads the birds in a series of escape plans but they are always caught. When a rooster crash lands inside the farm one day, Ginger realizes that there is another way out: they need to learn to fly.
There is a lot that is wonderful about this film: first, it encourages empathy towards chickens – animals who are too often mocked and maligned; it is brilliantly acted and very funny; it is suitable for children who love the action and the beautiful, quirky characters; and in it, the birds have real agency. They work to free themselves from the horrors of the egg industry, and they do indeed find their way to a happier life. If all the viewers rooting for Ginger and her friends to escape could see how real birds suffer on egg farms, we would be well on our way to a vegan world.
