| Earthlings | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Festival poster | |
| Directed by | Shaun Monson |
| Produced by | Libra Max[1] Brett Harrelson[1] Maggie Q[1] Persia White[1] |
| Narrated by | Joaquin Phoenix |
| Cinematography | Mark M. Rissi |
| Edited by | Shaun Monson |
| Music by | Moby Libra Max Brian Carter Natalie Merchant Gabriel Mounsey Barry Wood |
| Distributed by | Nation Earth |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Earthlings is a 2005 Americandocumentary film about humanity's use of non-human animals aspets,food,clothing,entertainment, and forscientific research. The film is narrated byJoaquin Phoenix, features music byMoby, and was directed byShaun Monson, executive produced by Libra Max and co-produced byMaggie Q. A sequel titledUnity was released in 2015.[2]
Coveringfactory farms,pet stores,puppy mills,animal experimentation,Earthlings includes footage obtained through the use of hidden cameras to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely on animals. Then, the film draws parallels betweenspeciesism and racism, sexism, and more.
The film started off as footage that writer, director, and producerShaun Monson had shot at animal shelters aroundLos Angeles in 1999. Monson originally shot the footage for PSAs on spaying and neutering pets, but what he saw moved him so much that he turned it into a documentary. The film would take another six years to complete because of the difficulty of obtaining footage within these industries.[3]
Joaquin Phoenix commented on the documentary, "Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most. For every one person who seesEarthlings, they will tell three."[4]Animal rights philosopherTom Regan remarked, "For those who watchEarthlings, the world will never be the same."[5]
In 2005,Earthlingspremiered at theArtivist Film Festival (where it won Best Documentary Feature), followed by theBoston International Film Festival (where it won the Best Content Award)[6] and theSan Diego Film Festival (where it won Best Documentary Film, as well as the Humanitarian Award to Phoenix for his work on the film).[7][8]
On July 21, 2020, Maksym Kryvosh seized a bus with 13 people on board in the city ofLutsk,Volyn Oblast,Ukraine, and demanded, among other things, that President of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky publish a post in which he recommendedEarthlings to everyone. Within a few hours, Zelensky fulfilled Kryvosh's demand, posting aFacebook video in which he said in Russian, "Everyone should watch the 2005 filmEarthlings." Kryvosh then released threehostages. After astandoff withpolice, Kryvosh was arrested, the other 10 hostages were released, all unharmed, and the President's recommendation video was deleted.[9][10]
The next day, Shaun Monson reacted to the incident by saying that "Earthlings does not endorse or condone acts of terror, as its message is one of compassion for all beings. [...] Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this ordeal, to their families, as well as the authorities who ensured that no lives were lost. May we move forward with non-violence toward all."[11]
