Speciesism: The Movie

Modern farms are struggling to keep a secret. Most of the animals used for food in the United States are raised in giant, bizarre “factory farms,” 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.

But this is just the beginning. In 1975, a young writer published a book arguing that no justifications exist for considering humans more important than members of other species. It slowly began to gain attention. Today, a quickly growing number of prominent individuals and political activists are adopting its conclusions. They have termed the assumption of human superiority speciesism. And, as a result, they rank these animal factories among the greatest evils in our history. Speciesism: The Movie brings viewers face-to-face with the leaders of this developing movement, and, for the first time ever on film, fully examines the purpose of what they are setting out to do.

Guest Speakers from SF Vegetarian Society & David Smugar, animal rights advocate.

Earth Day Film Series

Tuesday, April 21, 2015
12:00 – 2:00pm - Angel Azul (2014, 74 min.)
Explores the work of Jason de Caires, an artist who creates artificial coral reefs from statues cast from live models. Narrated by Peter Coyote. Screening followed by discussion with director Marcy Cravat.

5:00 – 7:30pm - A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet (2013, 101 min.)
A film documentary about the history of the environmental movement. Narrated by Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, Isabel Allende, Van Jones. Screening followed by discussion with director Mark Kitchell.

Thursday, April 23, 2015
5:45 – 7:45pm - Speciesism: The Movie (2013, 94 min.)