Speciesism: The Movie
Speciesism: The Movie
| 18 September 2013 (USA)
Speciesism: The Movie Trailers

Modern farms are struggling to keep a secret. Most of the animals used for food in the United States are raised in giant, bizarre factories, hidden deep in remote areas of the countryside. Speciesism: The Movie director Mark Devries set out to investigate. The documentary takes viewers on a sometimes funny, sometimes frightening adventure, crawling through the bushes that hide these factories, flying in airplanes above their toxic manure lagoons, and coming face-to-face with their owners.

Reviews
Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Lomedin Here we have yet another attempt to bring some light into the reality we force upon a world so embedded into suffering that the whole society and the system work for and thanks to it.Like other movies trying to accomplish this, it offers some memorable moments, like the talk starting about minute 64 into it, while he's driving. That's probably one of the most powerful speaks I've heard in this type of movies. I can completely relate to that feeling and it's somehow moving to hear someone saying it out loud. It reminded me to "Why do we love dogs, eat pigs and wear cows", when The Matrix comparison comes in.We have some prominent figures talking throughout the movie. It's nice to see Steven Best, with his non-compromise style; also Richard Dawkins, who I respect for his antitheist crusade (excuse the oxymoron), and who recently, in his own way, defended veganism (although, unfortunately, like other brilliant minds -Einstein, for example, who likewise praised the benefits of vegetarianism-, didn't change to a plant-based diet - sadly, another example that intelligence doesn't go hand in hand with common sense or doing what is right. Hopefully, Mr. Dawkins shall come to terms with reason and will end up doing what makes sense). Then, you have people from PETA (including Ingrid Newkirk and others), The Humane Society, Compassion for Animals and other organizations which politics I don't agree with 100% but that have undoubtedly helped many animals throughout the years directly or through education. Thankfully, most interview time is spent in people talking sense, instead of those paid to spew pro-suffering propaganda and such, although there's of course a share of a bit of nonsense, like the stupid reaction of that scientific woman who experiment on rats, when asked if she'd experiment on humans.Not much in the way of interviews but of refusals, we have some farm owners and such denying entry to premises and any cruelty involved in their businesses. It is so absurd to witness "people" who make a living out of the torturing and killing of sentient creatures ensuring that "the chickens do not suffer and are comfortable", while not allowing, of course, to film how comfortable they really are. Hey, I own a sweat shop, and all the children making your sneakers are treated great. How can anyone expect to have a bit of trust in the word of people who are in a business based on the exploitation of another creature, to start with? Do you ever wonder why farms, labs and such institutions don't allow visitors? And even pay governments to make it illegal to enter one and/or expose their going ons? Whether animal sanctuaries and such are always open to the public. Then, even the official, so-called, "surprise" visits by health inspectors to these places have to be by appointment; so the farm or other place of abuse have enough time to tidy things up enough to meet the ridiculous low industry standards. And, if it all fails, a few bucks under the table can fix anything. This is the absurd of the world we live in.Then, you have people like that fat Jew at the end, who goes a step further and will say and do anything to convince you that "his people" (there's more than one form of racism) got it worse than anybody else, be it human or non-human. I always wondered how it is possible for people from ethnic groups who were victims of particularly cruel episodes of suffering throughout history can live with themselves while supporting the suffering and death of other sentient beings. Like his fat Nazi counterpart interviewed earlier in the movie, this obese jew seems to care little about non-human animals when there's something to say about humans, no matter how incongruent his babbling might be. How ironic and horrendous that a Nazi and a Jew could come to terms when it is about speciesism.Ultimately, it's not really a matter of logical reasoning, so it's useless to throw moral truths and reason at people; because, as I said at the beginning, it is suffering the foundation of society, and the money and power all that death brings. You don't convince someone to stop all this non-sense by appealing to his/her moral values or logical thinking when there's no morality or logic involved in the first place. Of course, there're people who will listen to reason and stop creating unspeakable suffering for the sake of their palate or their fashion. But even then, the industries won't care, as long as there's some money to gain. And even if it isn't (see Canada's "proud" slaughter of baby seals, for example). Because, after all, humans are moved by other emotions apart from empathy or compassion; pride being among the top ones. And, of course, the greatest god of all times: selfishness. why stop eating animals when humans have such compelling reasons as "meat is so tasty" or "I can't go without my weekly steak". It is all, at the end, just repeating what others say, and muttering any and all excuses to try to sound reasonable, even if it all comes out sounding like a baby blabbering nonsense, in an attempt to get away with doing whatever you want. So much for the oh-so-evolved-and-civilized homo sapiens.Sometimes I think about what would happen if all the billions of speciescists were in the position of the animals they destroy. That quote from a cult movie comes to mind: "Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave." - I wonder.
eliote Speciesism surprised me in many good ways. This is not just a film about animals and food, it's a film about how we look at our relationship to nature. It differs from other documentaries because it picks very specific themes and explores them; meaning I did not leave the movie feeling like I was overloaded with facts and it's so much that I am paralyzed with where to go next. Speciesim was delivered in an open minded dialog giving all parties the option to explain their method. It stayed unbiased and didn't paint emotional characters of anyone who participated. I highly recommend that everyone see this film. It's quietly powerful and easy to follow.
seadams23 I first viewed this movie at the Animal Rights conference in Los Angeles 2014. I bought two copies of this film; one for myself and the other for our local library. This movie, Speciesism, is a great introduction for adults skeptical to the topic of factory farming and farm animal abuse. It also is great for young adults as it is humorous with moments of deeply profound insights concerning the use of animals for human consumption and exploitation? Speciesism and Cowspirancy are my two favorite movies on this topic. It is important that this movie, Speciesism, is viewed by as many people as possible to create the change required for a healthy, compassionate planet. Please share this movie with others.
victorianroses158 May Contain spoilers - This documentary combines the director of this films' personal discovery with facts and reasoning based on the research he did himself. Just that alone turns this documentary into something more relatable and more real then many other documentaries.The director shows himself as just a normal college student who had changed when he began asking question. One question in particular was "why? why do people this is okay ?, why does it happen like this " the answer came with the answers of the many people that were asked their opinion of the manor , by looking at human history and what we in our modern culture have been taught to believe the answer which became the title of the documentary, speciesism . Over all it was very informative and looked at all aspects of this problem (environmental, social ) as well as different prospective that this issue can be looked upon ( College students, corporations,activist )