May 9, 2006

Interview: Earthlings’ Writer & Director Shaun Monson

Earthlings DVD cover

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian," claim many animal advocates. But what if puppy mills, zoos, factory farms, scientific laboratories, entertainment industries, and the fur and leather trades, also had glass walls? Human existence is inextricably bound to animals, but too often this fact is neglected and we do not bear witness to their lives.

Earthlings provides an opportunity to peer behind the walls of these carefully-guarded institutions. The film explores our dependence on non-humans animals, and leaves the viewer with a startling reminder that in return for their service, animals are repaid with the cruelest of treatment.

We'll talk with Shaun Monson, writer and director of the award-winning film. He'll share his experiences making the documentary, his thoughts on the graphic representation of suffering, and his perspective on being human among many other earthlings.

Some further thoughts on Earthlings:

Joaquin Phoenix, narrator of Earthlings, reflects during an interview with 944 Magazine: "While I've seen a number of animal rights films over the years, none has affected me as profoundly as Earthlings. It re-invigorated my commitment to the cause — to ensure the humane treatment of animals and to protect their rights as other earthlings... Earthlings has the potential to change people's lives because of the undeniable factual content. It is a film that honestly exposes the incomprehensible treatment of animals."

"If I could make everyone in the world see one film, I'd make them see Earthlings," declares Peter Singer. While actress Bryce Dallas Howard confides, "Watching Earthlings is the greatest gift I have ever received. I can't believe how ignorant I've been in the past."

From the website ISawEarthlings.com, "Powerful, informative and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests."

Please see ISawEarthlings.com for more information about the film.

Earthlings has won the following awards:
Winner of the 2005 Artivist Film Festival (Best Documentary Film - Animal Advocacy)
Winner of the 2005 Boston International Film Festival (Indie Spec, Best Content Award)
Winner of the 2005 San Diego Film Festival (The Humanitarian Award, Joaquin Phoenix, Best Documentary Film)
2004 PETA Proggy Award (PETA Progress Award)

Download an mp3 of the interview (4.76 MB)

Submitted by Dino (not verified) on Wed, 2006-05-10 12:00.

Yes. I am repeatedly refreshing my iTunes page and poking in here every now and again to see when this is going up. I've been amped to listen to this show ever since Lauren mentioned it in passing elsewheres.

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Wed, 2006-05-10 14:38.

Hi Dino and all,

Unfortunately, because CIUT's live stream was down yesterday, we're going to have to get a copy of the show off the official station log. Then I'll send that copy to Neil who will edit it, and post it. This will likely take a few days. Check in again early next week. It will eventually go up!

Sorry guys!

Lauren

Submitted by Dino (not verified) on Thu, 2006-05-11 05:25.

Raaaar! It sucks that y'all are having problems with the show, etc. In the meantime, maybe I should toddle over to the fundraising page that you folk have, and maybe pick up one of those CDs you've got going for 10 $ CDN. That's pretty cheap, if you ask me, and I can afford that!

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Thu, 2006-05-11 14:49.

We appreciate your enthusiasm, Dino! We'll get up the show as soon as possible.

Also, since the spring fundraising drive is officially over, it would actually be much more helpful for AV if you held on to your cash, and helped us out during the Fall fundraising drive. That way, it will be easier to meet our 10 member requirement. (We were successful doing this during the spring drive. Phew.)

Cheers,
Lauren

Submitted by Neil (not verified) on Fri, 2006-05-19 17:23.

There's still a bit of the interview missing at the very end, but I hope to get that filled in soon. In the meantime, for everyone who was looking forward to hearing this show, here's, um, most of it!

Submitted by Neil (not verified) on Sat, 2006-06-17 10:40.

The last few minutes of the interview have been filled in now.

Thanks for your patience!

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Sun, 2006-06-18 12:48.

Thanks for patching that up, Neil!

Submitted by Simon (not verified) on Tue, 2006-07-11 18:36.

Wow what a film! Beautifully written & well produced, the beginning & ending sections, which discuss the relationship of humans to the rest of nature, how that relationship has become disrupted by animal exploitation, & why that exploitation is so disturbing to so many of us, both helps to prepare the viewer for the graphically violent images to come, & provides a measure of encouragement after they've been seen. The middle section is hard to bear (I confess I had to watch it in pieces), but was worth it in the end: anger motivated by compassion is constructive.

I bought this film after hearing the interview with Monson on Animal Voices, so thanks are due to the show for that. And of course, much thanks & appreciation to Shaun Monson himself, Nation Earth, & everyone else connected with the film's creation.

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Wed, 2006-07-26 16:46.

Thanks for your comment, Simon.

I certainly had to watch parts of the film in pieces, and often in fast-forward. I'm glad Shaun decided to make this film. It was really an ambitious project, and it seems to be reaching a lot of people.

Have you shown it to anyone else?

Submitted by Stephanie Garcia (not verified) on Mon, 2008-06-30 11:50.

Hola Shaun Monson:

Solo queria darte las gracias por tomar de tu tiempo y hacer el video "Earthlings - part 3 of 3" el cual esta en You Tube. Es un video muy fuerte, el cual no pude terminar de ver. Pero apesar de eso se lo mande a muchas personas para que tomen coinciencia. De hecho me pongo muy triste al pensar que todavia hay gente que hace esas cosas tan crueles. Bueno me despido y te deseo exito en ti vida y muchas bendiciones.

PD: Disculpame por heberte escrito en español pero no soy muy buena con el ingles.