“Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 1952
Run time: 1h 33mins
Director: Liz Marshall
Narrator: Jo-Anne McArthur
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8.3/10
One-Sentence Summary
A photographer travels the world capturing the often sad consequences of mankind’s interactions with animals.
Brief Synopsis
The Ghosts In Our Machine follows photographer Jo-Anne McArthur as she attempts to publish a series of images of the often unseen and ignored mistreatment of animals. Her aim is simple- to expose these topics so that they are thrust into the public arena, no longer deniable and at the very least, can be discussed. Her work takes her to fox and mink farms, a marine park and dairy farm. In contrast, she relays the personal stories of the individual animals that have been rescued and she has since come to know, as well as the people who now care for them.
The Trailer
The Vegan Bit
There is a need for human interaction with animals to be assessed on an ethical level, however The Ghosts In Our Machine demonstrates that there is still a reluctance to do so. If the core belief of veganism is that animals should not be treated as mere units, but unique individuals who share with us pleasure and pain, then The Ghosts In Our Machine poignantly reminds us of this.
The film indirectly acts a guide for those who wish to go beyond the cessation of eating animals and their products. For example, by no longer visiting parks that use animals for entertainment, to avoiding products tested on animals just so we can ‘smell nice.’
Jo-Anne dedicates her work to Ron, a chimpanzee kept in a laboratory for 30 years, with nothing more than the occasional blanket for company. His photograph is a reminder that animals still suffer like this every day and his picture, as well as those of incarcerated families of foxes, pigs and dogs speak a thousand words.
Where And How To Watch
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Official Website: theghostsinourmachine.com
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