We Are Animals, a compelling documentary from Lady Freethinker that documents the history of animal exploitation and new efforts to break the cycle of abuse, won the coveted Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Marina del Rey Film Festival. Playing to a full house, the film received an enthusiastic response from fellow activists and festival attendees.
Produced by Lady Freethinker (LFT) founder Nina Jackel and directed by Kirk Murray and Nicholas Tana, the film explores the similarities between humans and their non-human counterparts, and how some of today’s largest industries cause unnecessary suffering to billions of animals each year. Viewers are encouraged to consider how their everyday choices may contribute to this suffering and learn that hope is on the horizon.
LFT is a nonprofit organization working to end animal cruelty around the world through investigations, news, and citizen action. It also provides food, veterinary care, and shelter to rescued animals in dire need. Described as change-making and unafraid, LFT is striving for a more compassionate world for all sentient beings.
“Animals are unable to tell the world of their suffering, but we can,” says Jackel. “This documentary was born from a deep sense of urgency to expose the systems that allow exploitation to run rampant and to encourage a more compassionate world for our fellow species.”
“As someone who believes deeply in compassion and coexistence, this film became one of the most important projects I’ve ever undertaken,” said We Are Animals director Kirk Murray. “If this documentary encourages even a few people to think differently, ask difficult questions, or act with greater compassion, then it has achieved exactly what I set out to do.”
The film features compelling interviews with scientists, celebrities, and animal advocates, including Moby, Nikki Glaser, Allison Pill, Peter Egan, Elaine Hendrix, Peter Singer, Milo Runkle, and others. Rowdy Girl Sanctuary founder Renee King-Sonnen describes how her husband, Tommy, owned a cattle ranch before a little calf named Rowdy Girl “took her down the rabbit hole,” turning the Sonnens into vegans and transforming the ranch into a sanctuary.
Leaders of animal advocacy groups such as Apex Advocacy in Atlanta, the LA Vegan Food Bank, Animal Equality, and BIPOC Animal Activism share the unique role each organization plays in the fight for legislation to end the oppression of animals.
Kirk Murray is a filmmaker driven by the belief that emotion is the catalyst for change. His films have been recognized at more than 40 film festivals worldwide, including the Orlando Film Festival (an Oscar-qualifying festival), the Las Vegas Film Festival, the Utah Film Festival, the San Diego International Film Awards, and Atlanta ShortsFest. A visually driven director, Murray approaches each project with cinematic precision, crafting films that are both immersive and emotionally resonant.
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