Documentary "Slay" Showing Animal Cruelty in the Fashion Industry
The New Film by Rebecca Cappelli and Keegan Kuhn
Rebecca Cappelli and Keegan Kuhn have made a new animal rights documentary. "Slay" is about animal cruelty in the fashion industry. Around 2.5 billion animals are currently killed for our clothes every year.
The feature-length film reveals how cruel this business is. Rebecca Cappelli and Keegan Kuhn want to raise awareness within society of the widespread cruel practices in the fashion industry.
Following the trail of leather, wool, and fur
Slay shows Rebecca Cappelli ("Let Us Be Heroes") on her three-year journey, during which she sheds light on the production and processing of animal skins in the fashion industry and traces the origins of leather, wool, and fur.
Fortunately, criticism of the fashion circus is becoming louder and louder, especially concerning the lack of sustainability and the unfair treatment of workers. However, one point that must not be forgotten here is the cruel exploitation of animals.
People and animals suffer for fashion
PIC Silver foxes sit close together in stacked wire cages. Silver foxes on a fur farm in China. Image/Picture: "Slay"
"Slay" is, therefore, about them - exploited, forgotten creatures that are bred for our clothes and often have to live out their short lives in agony and darkness. The documentary shows how the global fashion industry causes massive damage to the environment and people and the extreme plight of the animals within this field.
Rebecca Cappelli and Keegan Kuhn ("Cowspiracy", "What the Health" and "They're Trying to Kill Us ") visited five continents when making "Slay". They uncovered cases of animal cruelty, greenwashing, fraudulent labeling, and cover-ups in India, Italy, Brazil, China, France, and the US.
In addition to the omnipresent animal suffering, the film team constantly encountered people who were at the mercy of the fashion industry. They work under terrible, often even dangerous conditions far beyond any reasonable stress limit and are dependent on their jobs.
In the documentation, experts in sustainable fashion and members of the animal rights movement—including well-known activists such as Samata Pattinson, Bandana Tewari, Melanie Joy, Dana Thomas, Joshua Katcher, Lucy Watson, Earthling Ed, Emma Hakansson, and Alexi Lubomirski—have their say. They show how things should be done and how far we are still from finding humane and animal-friendly solutions.
##Visiting fur and wool farms
The film crew filmed on fur and wool farms and in tanneries, among other places. The in-depth insights help establish the connection between a leather shoe and a calf awaiting its fate in a shed. Rebecca Cappelli is convinced that many people are not aware of the suffering for which they are partly responsible through their purchasing behavior. She told the press:
"I want people who watch 'Slay' to realize the true impact of their purchasing decisions on animals, the planet, and their fellow human beings. I want them to see the marketing lies they've been told and the greenwashing. As this cruel industry continues to destroy the planet, the suffering of animals continues to be forgotten. With 'Slay', we want to challenge people to question the idea that animal skins are a kind of 'fabric'."
She hopes her new film will help as many people as possible to open their eyes to the dark reality.
Rebecca Cappelli and Keegan Kuhn tried to keep the results of their investigation secret until the very end. According to Cappelli, this was mainly due to the great power of the fashion industry.
Keegan Kuhn describes the new documentary like this:
"'Slay' is a critical, important, and timely movie about greenwashing and the dirty secrets of the fashion industry."
To raise money for screenings, the film team launched a crowdfunding campaign. The campaign target of 60,000 dollars was far exceeded by more than 200 supporters⋆. A total of around 88,300 dollars was raised. On the campaign1 for the film, you can currently sign up for updates to receive news about the release date. It has not yet been set. Rebecca Cappelli has already released the first two-minute trailer.