Speciesism: The Movie

I will keep this short. I'll be blunt - I was very hesitant at first about watching this film, as I did not want to see yet another depressing movie about factory farming. This was totally different. Instead of feeling depressed, I left feeling inspired emotionally and intellectually. I don't think anything like this has been done before -- it is a must see for vegetarians and omnivores, alike and anyone interested in philosophy, social justice, nutrition, medicine, and just about anything else! It is heartfelt, poignant, even funny at points, raw, and both sad and uplifting. I went home and immediately ordered 3 DVD copies. See it today - you won't regret it.

I would recommend watching this documentary to anyone. It's an hour and a half out of your time, but in my humble view, it will change your outlook for ever.

Mark Devries really hits the nail on the head with Speciesism. He is not confrontational nor condescending. This endears you to him from the first and therefore you are more open to the findings of the documentary as you feel as if he also is on the road to these discoveries.

And these discoveries, which are so undisputable, will force you to think and force you to assess the way we are doing things. This is what a successful documentary should make you do and in this way it is a very successful documentary.

If you go to Speciesism expecting to be hit over the head with the message to go vegan - whether you're a staunch carnivore uninterested in changing your views or a staunch vegan looking for someone to share a soapbox with - you're going to be disappointed. This film is a thoughtful exploration of one person's unexpected - and sometimes even reluctant - journey through one of the most complex moral questions facing our planet.

Director Mark Devries does a truly remarkable job of navigating these issues through his own observations as well as a wide-ranging series of interviews. Devries asks some tough questions but he is never presumptuous or demeaning, to either his interviewees or the audience. He gives everyone the space to think through their own positions themselves.

This movie has an authenticity that makes it very powerful. The narrator seems sincere and we follow his curiosity to places we would not ordinarily see and then to issues we would not ordinarily consider. We travel with him to factory farms and then to question philosophers, academics, and ordinary people about many aspects of THE social justice issue of our time. There are dark moments and funny moments on a journey to learn for ourselves about factory farms and how we as a society treat non-human animals. Specisism is a well-crafted, thoughtful and inspirational documentary. If you eat, you should see it.

Very unassuming and thought provoking at the same time, expose of of how a great majority of humans have decided that they can do whatever they please with our planet and other living beings for their comfort.

However, at the same time, it was inspiring that as depicted in the film, some humans actually understand that all beings must share all that the universe has to offer, and be caretakers of each other and the universe.

Unfortunately, I cannot determine how to get many members of my species to even consider watching a film on this topic. Therein lies my and many others problem to get more humans to truly share all that the universe has to offer, and be caretakers of each other and the universe.