Reviews

This documentary is exceptional because it highlights the environmental movement from a crucial but unfortunately minority anti-anthropocentric perspective. I am very grateful to Mr. Smajs for this, as this view is essential. For many years, I have been frustrated and demotivated by the anthropocentrism that tragically permeates the entire movement, including climate and animal rights. Until we fight for the values of the whole, and not just for the benefit of humanity, it will all remain an embarrassing and short-sighted farce. The only positively anthropocentric thing I would support is the inclusion of ecocide as a crime against humanity. Back to the movie: I was also grateful to learn about the previously unfamiliar terms 'evolutionary ontology' and 'biophilia.' A Constitution for the Earth should be enacted globally: "The evolution of culture does not need minor changes; it needs a radical shift in its evolutionary framework. Humanity must accept that Nature is absolutely superior to us all. If we do not declare the supremacy of the rights of Nature over the rights of man, all our attempts to solve the current crises of humanity will be ineffective."

I was pleasantly surprised by the flawless performances of the actors and actresses in this series. It felt as if they were all close friends in real life, as I don't believe such natural chemistry could be achieved otherwise. Each character has a unique personality, and these are portrayed in a very believable and nuanced way. The story is realistic, without any clichés, pretense, or forced toughness. The atmosphere feels so authentic that it almost stands apart from anything else I've ever seen. Rarely do I come across a series that feels this genuine, where every element works seamlessly together to create a truly engaging experience. It's a refreshing piece of television that captures both the depth of its characters and the authenticity of its story, making it a standout among other series.

I liked the references to the future impacts of the 21st century Anthropocene. It's repeatedly implied in some episodes that our travelers from the future are all vegan, and most of them haven't changed their habits even after arriving in the 21st century: "My host has a refrigerator full of something called 'bacon'. When I realized what it was, I cried for a good five minutes. (1.11)" In some episodes, there are references to climate change, soil degradation (2.4), water pollution, or overpopulation (2.6): "When we're from, everybody in the 21st is long gone. And for what they did to this planet, good riddance." It was nice to see new travelers enjoying the clean air, trees, and animals they saw for the first time in their lives, as it is almost impossible to live on the surface in the future.

Of course, these are only references embedded in the series, not primary points, and I was missing at least one episode dedicated solely to this topic. It would help us, as viewers, understand exactly what our travelers are trying to change for the better in our rapidly deteriorating future. Unfortunately, by the middle of the second season, I suspected I wouldn't see anything new; "saving the world" started to shift to saving individuals in a cheesy way. It gradually became stereotypical, and I clicked through the third season just to see how it would end.

A unique series aimed at instilling basic ecological awareness in children. Each episode addresses a different issue from a different part of the world, ranging from sustainable economies in Africa to the admirable concept of reducing car use in developed countries. It represents a positive, non-violent approach that will not offend anyone. However, I found some episodes to be unpleasantly anthropocentric, but others, such as Climat: les effets (2009) about the climate crisis, have real potential. The biggest problem with this series is its terribly slow pace, which can bore children. If the blank spaces and completely unnecessary sequences were cut, each episode would be at least half as short, but it would have more energy and action. Despite this, the series definitely deserves a comeback with dubbing.

In this game, there's no risk of losing or facing defeat, and you can freely explore the seabed, corals, rocks, and an array of marine creatures, including starfish, jellyfish, shells, crabs, octopuses, turtles, dolphins, sharks, and whales-totaling around 47 species. Your primary task is to use a special camera for scanning these animals as part of ocean monitoring and research, offering surprisingly engaging gameplay. All of this unfolds against a backdrop of calming ambient music that complements the ocean sounds.

The game subtly integrates an ecological subtext; while on missions, you'll encounter unsettling sounds that frighten the animals, leading you to evidence of illegal raw material mining.

Between dives, your submarine serves as a refuge where you can interact with colleagues and your daughter, watch documentary-style videos related to your research on a tablet featuring notable personalities like Sylvia Earle, or enjoy alternative rock from the MP3 player.

The game's duration is approximately 6-7 hours, and even after completing the final mission, you can continue playing to collect remaining achievements, providing an additional 1-2 hours of gameplay.

A documentary film that inspires the use of natural products, in the production of which no animal elements are used. And he does it in a sharp way. We see the torture of animals in various areas of human characterless depravity: skinning snakes for handbags, castration of kabara (a deer-like animal) in order to test some kind of cosmetics, cutting up an Indian buffalo for a leather jacket, skinning a dog... the most brutal was the slaughter of lambs with which they cut off the upper part of the head through the jaw while fully aware, all in front of the eyes of the mother who only moments before lovingly licked them - for vests and blankets. Shockingly, they do it with ease, talking in a cheerful tone as if they were cutting bread for breakfast. I hate them terribly.

Viruses can only parasitize their host until they kill it. In doing so, they will also kill themselves. However, the Earth is a robust organism; it has recovered from meteorite bombardment, endured several ice ages, and survived five mass extinctions. It will also recover from this, the sixth, caused by a species, which will take with it the wildlife and most of the animals that exist today. This documentary theorizes what would happen if people vaporized out of nowhere. It does not consider the causes that would lead to such an event. When that happens, for several thousand years, it will not look as nice (green and full of life) as it is presented in this series.

This film, like The Animals Film (1981), is one of the best feature-length documentaries discussing the issue of animal experiments and other areas of animal suffering, but it also shows those who directly save animals' lives. The film is full of information and arguments, but also brutal shots directly from the trials. It also discusses the controversy of whether animal experiments really help people to such an extent that they can be morally justified and financially subsidized, when we already know several long-standing alternatives to animal experiments. This film contains the most important lesson of all the short videos about animal experiments!

It's somewhat strange how the media can distort facts; they are professionals at manipulation. No one can deny that the Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs campaign (aimed at closing down a breeding farm that supplied domestic guinea pigs to laboratories for experimental purposes) was marked by certain incidents attributed to specific radical groups (Animal Rights Militia, Justice Department). However, in this TV show, it seems as if these incidents comprise the entire campaign. The campaign lasted for a whole six years! Nevertheless, even such shows could not diminish human compassion for animals, and the farm was eventually closed, just like dozens and hundreds of others around the world.

(Interesting: Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs (2000) short documentary was made about this campaign)

Misleading. The fact that the birth rate is lower than in the 1960s is, in any case, remarkable because it is closely linked to a higher standard of living, reduced poverty, and lower mortality. The successful promotion of family planning, as illustrated in this film using Bangladesh as an example, is a blessing. There, activists not only went door-to-door distributing contraception, but family planning is also now taught in elementary schools! The documentary presents a positive vision for the future, suggesting that the global population will only continue to grow in Asian and African countries until 2100. While watching the documentary, one might get the impression that the world is progressing toward a better tomorrow, with the population explosion already under control, and reductions in poverty, mortality, and demographic growth. However, the documentary doesn't even mention the ecological footprint generated by every human being, regardless of their living standards. In reality, we have long surpassed the Earth's carrying capacity.

I don't appreciate how they're portraying this young boy, Bill (real name William Cottrell). He only set fire to a few damned cars belonging to a private company, and yet they're dissecting him here as if he were some psychotic freak who committed a heinous crime. The documentary employs somber ambient music reminiscent of a film about terminally ill children, slow-motion black-and-white footage from his youth, and his childhood photos. In between, there are concerned statements from his classmates, professors and family members, all wearing serious expressions, pondering why such a successful, cheerful and intelligent boy living his dream could commit such a "shockingly terrible act". The documentary isn't so offensive, but it also makes absolutely no effort to consider the case from Bill's perspective. I dislike this deliberate, premeditated manipulation of opinions.

Interestingly, a very similar case involving another "lone wolf" named Jeff Luers is discussed in the documentary The Jeffrey Luers Story (2005).

A partially moral and somewhat darkly humorous thriller set in the stunning forest environment of a border settlement in the Table Mountains. The protagonist's perspective on hunting animals for meat and fur is thought-provoking, although the character may be perceived as somewhat eccentric. One might wonder if her unconventional viewpoint was a handicap or, in fact, a gift that allowed her to perceive the world differently than others. Unlike the book, the film doesn't adequately portray this aspect, resulting in a slight lack of psychological depth.

The film possesses a unique atmosphere that I appreciate. It seems that the murders are not the central theme but rather serve as a backdrop, portrayed without excessive drama. I found myself more concerned about the hunting scenes, which appear to depict real animal shootings. I somewhat naively convinced myself that these were something like archival hunting footage and that the animals didn't perish solely for the sake of the film's effect. This film is undoubtedly controversial in terms of its content and ideas and is likely to be disliked by hunters and members of the clergy. I liked it.

Not much has changed since the release of the Earthlings (2005) documentary. Records from 2016-2017 obtained from various English farms in the meat, dairy, and egg industries attest to this fact. I've heard many people argue that activists selectively choose the worst moments from countless hours of footage to support their cause. That's simply not true. Individuals who infiltrate these facilities with hidden cameras come, record, and depart. They don't have the time of spending half a year capturing hundreds of hours of footage there just to select the two most distressing minutes. What you see in this video is a reflection of what occurs across the entire industry of animal husbandry; it's standard practice. The documentary is freely available for distribution, so please feel free to share it in order to raise awareness among as many people as possible.

Uh, a documentary should accurately depict reality. This sensationalist piece is made up of unrealistic staged scenes in which hundreds of animals lost their lives, accompanied by eerie music and a narrator spreading falsehoods.

For instance, the scene where lemmings are depicted as committing suicide was produced in the following unethical manner: the production crew hired individuals to capture hundreds of lemmings in Canada, then herded them in front of cameras to create the illusion of a mass migration. In the subsequent shot, they were coerced into jumping off a cliff into the sea, leading to their drowning. Lemmings do not actually engage in suicidal behavior. This cannot be classified as a documentary.

The image could have served as a demonstration of the potential consequences of forced population control that may become necessary in the future if population growth is not curbed. However, this potential was not effectively realized. Impartiality is lacking, as the portrayal of the regime's enforcers as ruthless killers of innocent bystanders and children cancels out any nuance. The entire system almost resembles an eco-fascist version of Orwell's 1984 - albeit in the context of a one-child policy.

I must admit that if I were in Noomi Rapace's shoes, I would have felt like schizophrenic after the filming concluded. Nevertheless, this doesn't change the fact that the plot direction appears predetermined, with a clear preference for an egocentric feminist perspective. The film doesn't address why governments have resorted to a one-child policy as a solution to overpopulation. Throughout the entire narrative, alternative solutions to overpopulation, a real-world issue even today, are never mentioned, let alone in the depicted year 2043.

In the typical American fashion, the story relies heavily on psychological manipulation, with the audience consistently overlooking the root cause of the issue. Subconsciously, viewers become fixated on the survival of the sisters and their struggle against the 'repressive regime.' The warning conveyed in the prologue is rendered meaningless by the maternal epilogue, erasing any remaining point of contention: the problem persists, but its solution is portrayed as inhumane, leading to a dismissal of the issue in favor of fighting against the proposed solutions.

I often hear, especially from religious people, why animal rights activists don't care about people instead, and why are vegan activists against egg production but don't care about "children killed in abortion", and so on. So, for those people, here is this document from the pro-life-oriented international NGO Christian Vegetarian Association, which asserts that God's commandments do not apply only to humans. Especially the fifth commandment, thou shalt not kill. The documentary contains interviews with several personalities, including pastors, reverends, Catholic priests, lawyers, and writers.

This movie deserves a comeback and dubbing! Five young people in black hoods set off into the darkness of the night. They steal, sabotage and destroy property, but all with a clear conscience. They do it because of one goal: to free voiceless creatures from experimental facilities and fur farms, living beings with hearts and feelings that other people underestimate. This group of the Animal Liberation Front calls itself Svarte pantere (Black Panthers). However, their methods are not accepted, and therefore they have to prepare for tough confrontations with the police, media, and politics. The film does not demonize the activities of these people determined to save a few lives even at the cost of lost their own freedom. They quickly earned my favor, and all the time I longed for them to escape. The topic is still relevant, the script, camera, and action are at a high-quality level. This film should not gather dust.

Similarly, great films on the same topic that I can recommend are Bold Native (2010), Saints & Angels (2007), Aurora: Il sogno della liberazione (2011) and A.L.F. (2012).

Over 20 renowned individuals discuss their reasons for choosing to abstain from consuming and purchasing animal products. While the documentary primarily focuses on ethical motivations for veganism, it also touches on health reasons. It highlights the international non-profit Animal Equality and the practice of so-called open rescues. There is a degree of one-sidedness (although, for example, a butcher is also featured), but personally, I don't find the absence of discussions about animal proteins lacking at all when I aim to learn about veganism and animal welfare. This documentary ranks among the best on the subject and should not be so overlooked. It notably avoids depicting graphic scenes from slaughterhouses and large-scale farms, making it suitable for a wide audience.

The documentary features interviews with more than 20 individuals who discuss the health and ecological consequences of consuming animal products. It also provides a space for workers from large-scale farms and slaughterhouses to describe the inner workings of this industry. Originally in German, the English version is a few minutes shorter and omits, for example, an interview with the renowned Melanie Joy, who spoke about carnism. It's unfortunate, but nevertheless, HOPE is one of the highest-quality documentaries on this issue. Most of the footage is from European farms, which is another advantage, because at least skeptics can't say their favorites "It's different in the USA, nothing like that happens here!" Warning, it also contains footage from large-scale farms.

A somewhat unprofessional-looking documentary addressing the validity of neo-Malthusianism. Malthus's original theory, in brief, suggested that people should only have children if they can support them. The documentary comprises interviews with women from impoverished areas of India and archival footage from television shows, along with brief clips featuring non-profit organizations like the Population Institute and UNFPA from 1993. These elements are combined to illustrate the link between low education and social status with overpopulation. Neo-Malthusianism could benefit from more extensive exploration in newer, better-produced films.