Bold Native

Friday, in place of our typical ed lunch, we went on a field trip to Sacramento to see John Robbins (author of Diet for a New America) and watched a screening of the film Bold Native. I really enjoyed hearing John Robbins speak because he seemed to tie in the spiritual side of being vegan, how we have lost our connection with nature and the animals, and the disconnect that exists between our ideas of "pets" and food. I've never read any of his books but I was looking at the list and there were a ton that caught my eye. The Awakened Heart and The Food Revolution are now going on my reading list.

I also wanted to talk here about the film Bold Native. This movie focuses primarily on the ideas of the Animal Liberation Front. I'd like to make a whole post about the ALF one day...once I've done more research on the topic. One of the ALF's guidelines is to do no harm to animals, human or otherwise. They are a nonviolent group known for illegally breaking into laboratories and factory farms and freeing the animals. They frequently engage in property destruction as well. We had a lot of discussion about this in the van on the way back. The ALF does not harm humans or animals...does this alone make them nonviolent? Or are the damages they inflict on buildings and equipment considered violent actions? I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about that. On the one hand violence is typically directed at one or more beings, not inanimate objects. I don't really feel you can commit violence against a computer or lab equipment. Sophia did bring up a good point though, that if someone came into your house and destroyed your things wouldn't you feel like a violent act had been committed against you? I'm not sure. I still consider the ALF to be nonviolent in their practices, but it did make me think a bit harder about the definition.


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(also, I'm finding I didn't explain this too well. This movie is not a documentary it's an actual movie, full length feature film...or whatever you call it)

By far the most controversial part in the film is "the feral child" scene. It's definitely hard to watch.  One of the ALF members goes a bit rouge and captures a man involved in factory farming, ties him up and shocks and beats him. Treating him exactly as the animals are treated.  It's a vivid scene. A baby piglet runs free around the tortured man, while horrible undercover investigation videos are played on the wall. I'm going to give it away and say that in the end, the main character (not the person who originally captured the guy) frees the man. So, now that that is out of the way....apparently there was a bit of an uproar about this scene at the conference I went to last summer (I went to bed before this film was over so I didn't get to hear the commentary). Here are my thoughts. I think it was a necessary scene to put in the film. It connects the audience to the horror of  reciprocating in anger and frustration.  I can't say how many times I've heard or seen posts on animal investigation videos: "this is awful, I hope this person dies a painful death", "someone should hang that guy by a hook and make him bleed out...see how he likes it". Do we really want to see that? Really? It's extremely hard to watch the feral child scene in the movie. And I think that's WHY it's there.  To show us that we may FEEL like retribution is justice...but actually seeing it, we are able to understand how horrific that idea truly is.
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Anyways, check the movie out. And understand that it's portraying only one part of the animal rights movement. Then tell me what you all think. I really want more feed back about this movie from non vegans. How did you react to the film? What are your thoughts?

This film can be rented or purchased on iTunes as well as the Bold Native website.

You can also purchase this super soft hoodie for the animal rights activist in your life *points to self and smiles*