COWSPIRACY: the most "effective" vegan documentary
A new survey has revealed the most effective vegan documentaries for encouraging people new to veganism.
According to a worldwide survey by vegan dating app Veggly, Cowspiracy remains the most effective documentary. Other classics such as Earthlings, What The Health and The Game Changers also appeared on the list.
The study also reveals that respondents consider documentaries to be the most effective way to encourage new vegans.
The documentary delves into the impacts of the animal agriculture industry on the planet – and the extreme measures meat lobbyists take to prevent people from knowing more.
Originally released in 2014, the hard-hitting investigative film made the “sustainability secret” available to everyone and opened many people's eyes to the impacts of animal agriculture.
A decade later, his message remains relevant. Despite an even larger body of scientific evidence, government-sponsored advertising campaigns still attempt to downplay the harms of meat, fish and dairy products. Scientists are pleading with governments to act on the evidence, not the interests of big corporations. Meanwhile, the meat industry continues to confuse consumers with deliberately misleading statistics.
Cowspiracy's sequels, including What The Health and Seaspiracy, also make the list of most effective documentaries. Additionally, the upcoming spirituality-themed documentary, Christspiracy, is already building anticipation.
If Cowspiracy brought the environmental awareness of veganism to the fore, The Game Changers could be said to have done the same for health and fitness. Starring the charismatic James Wilks, the 2018 documentary examines the sporting prowess of vegan athletes around the world. It also debunks anti-vegan myths about male sexual performance and protein intake.
In the survey, more than one in ten respondents ranked The Game Changers as the most effective vegan documentary. Other health-focused films such as What The Health (12.3 percent) and Forks Over Knives (5.3 percent) also appeared on the list. You Are What You Eat, a new Netflix documentary that follows the health of identical twins, looks to be another game changer.
The propaganda of the meat industry is based on lies and misunderstandings. Bucolic images of happy cows hide what really happens on farms and slaughterhouses. One documentary that shook this comfortable ignorance was Earthlings.
Combining the environmental and ethical reasons for veganism, Earthlings (17.6 percent) was the second most popular vegan documentary voted by vegans, behind only Cowspiracy. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, the 2005 feature film explores the many ways humans exploit animals. From food and pet ownership to clothing, science and entertainment, it addresses many key discussion points for vegan educators.
Similarly, Dominion is a coup for people who prefer not to know the reality of where their food comes from. Available to watch online for free, Dominion shows the gruesome realities of the slaughterhouse. Directed by Chris Delforce, the documentary was shot using hidden cameras and drone footage. Animal activists often use excerpts from Dominion to educate people about the hidden truth that goes on behind slaughterhouse walls.
Although uncomfortable to watch, Dominion has helped many people empathize with animals as suffering individuals, not just numbers. Last year, moviegoers in Sweden unwittingly went to see Dominion in a secret Halloween movie screening.
The data also highlights how documentaries are crucial in helping spread the vegan message. Watching vegan documentaries (50.9 percent) tops the list of best methods of encouraging new vegans, ahead of books and articles (20.3 percent), talking to friends (17.1 percent) and family (11, 1 percent), and public speakers (10.7 percent).
The most effective vegan documentaries:
- Cowspiracy 21.8%
- Earthlings 17.6%
- What The Health 12.3%
- The Game Changers 10.1%
- Other 9.0%
- Dominion 8.7%
- Forks Over Knives 5.3%
- Seaspiracy 4.8%
- Eating Animals 4.8%
- Live & Let Live 2.6%
- Before The Flood 1.8%
- Glass Walls 1.1%