THE MESSAGE IS THE MEDIUM: Animal advocates should turn their attention to Hollywood
The landscape of films made with social change in mind has grown, Still, almost none of them deal directly with factory farming and the way our food systems exploit animals. Animal rights activists could use narrative media to expose viewers through stories that appeal to not just their intellect, but to their emotions.
BRIAN KATEMAN: “Coffee Wars,” a new movie starring singer, actor, and vegan activist Kate Nash hit streaming services last month, to the delight of certain plant-based corners of the internet. The story follows a down-on-her-luck vegan café owner (Nash) as she enters a global barista competition — despite the competition’s rules strictly requiring the use of dairy milk. The fiery protagonist and her team of colleagues approach their mission as a “revolution,” an upheaval necessary to protect the planet and end animal exploitation. The vegan ethos goes beyond the script. Only non-dairy milk was used on set, and wardrobe, makeup, and hair styling products were chosen ethically as well, with sustainability as a priority. Perhaps most significantly, the filmmakers have pledged to donate all profits from the film to related charities.
It’s little wonder that animal activists have been excited for the movie’s release. The landscape of films made with social change in mind has grown to include more and more stories with themes relating to climate change (i.e, “Don’t Look Up,” “mother!,” and the “Jurassic World Dominion”). Still, almost none of them deal directly with factory farming and the way our food systems exploit animals…
Narrative works (like movies, TV, and even other media like books and video games), have done a lot to educate and inspire empathy for marginalized people in a way that facts and figures alone have not. Animal rights activists could use narrative media in similar ways, to expose viewers to real societal problems through approachable stories that appeal to not just their intellect, but to their emotions and senses of humor, too. Before, “Coffee Wars,” Bong Joon-ho’s 2017 film “Okja” for Netflix was the best (and possibly the only) example of a contemporary film that addresses animal exploitation under capitalism. But of course, one movie does not a revolution make.
It’s encouraging that more filmmakers are adding to the conversation with new works like “Coffee Wars.” Factory farming is a high-stakes issue. As Nash’s character informs a customer, the cows are “milked and milked and milked until their bones are so brittle they can’t even stand.” As such, the industry deserves to be explored on the biggest of screens…
Storytelling is a powerful tool to inspire empathy, education, passion, and change. Hopefully, the future of film will bring us stories that inform audiences about real-life issues, earn an emotional response, and inspire us to imagine a future starkly different from our present. “Coffee Wars” is setting a stunning example by donating its profits and making material choices to pursue sustainability in a field that’s often incredibly wasteful. SOURCE…
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