The just released documentary interviews 12 activists, charting their deeply personal journeys into animal advocacy. ‘Many films approach animal advocacy by shocking audiences with the very real violence our systems do to animals,’ says director Tristan Copley-Smith. ‘With this film, we wanted to take a different approach: to try and understand the internal emotional experience that has transformed our subjects into making animal justice such a central part of their lives.’
THE EMPATHY PROJECT: A mid-length documentary commissioned by The Empathy Project and directed by award-winning director Tristan Copley-Smith aims to uplift and celebrate public concern for animals and to normalise advocacy for animals by platforming voices from the movement.
The mid-length documentary, which will be released in January 2026, interviews 12 activists, charting their deeply personal journeys into animal advocacy. Interviewees include Michelin-starred chef Alexis Gauthier; award-winning landscape designer Cleve West; Dan Richardson, actor, filmmaker and patron for the Born Free Foundation; and Ruth Andrade, environmental partner for high street skincare brand LUSH. Other speakers include frontline activists, NGOs, a former livestock vet and more. Each brings a unique perspective to the issue.
“Many of us say we are animal lovers; very few of us actively work to help animals who are suffering. We wanted to discover what creates someone for whom advocacy becomes a life calling,” explains The Empathy Project founder and executive producer Bel Jacobs, who also speaks in the film. “Are they more compassionate – or have they seen things that have become unignorable? What we heard was the latter: heartfelt stories of empathy, outrage and activism. It showed that caring deeply for other species enough to speak out for them is not niche or overly emotional; it’s a humane response once confronted with what animals endure every day.”
“Many films approach animal advocacy by shocking audiences with the very real violence our systems do to animals,” says director Tristan Copley-Smith. “With this film, we wanted to take a different approach: to try and understand the internal emotional experience that has transformed our subjects into making animal justice such a central part of their lives.
“As a filmmaker and anthropologist, I found the stories of our subject deeply meaningful and inspiring – they have impacted my own interactions with animals in my life,” he continues. “I look forward to seeing if they have a similar impact on our audiences.”
In the film, speakers discuss what empathy for other species means and how it came into their lives. They reveal stories of personal change and the courage required for activism, as well as sharing what continues to inspire them.
From climate and ecological protection to animal rights to social justice, speakers also make the case for considering a world in which all animals are treated with respect. Finally, the film asks, ‘What can we, as individuals and communities, do to reduce animal suffering on the planet today?’ SOURCE
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