A new documentary exploring the impact of animal-derived materials used in fashion is out today on free streaming platform WaterBear.

Co-created by one of the directors of Cowspiracy, which made waves by investigating the links between the meat industry and the climate crisis, Slay follows director Rebecca Cappelli as she tracks leather, fur and wool supply chains across seven countries. To do.

Capelli visited a tannery in India, talked to migrant workers in Italy, surveyed deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, toured a wholesale fur market in China, and rescued an orphaned lamb. Invade Australian farms with activists.

This documentary is about more than just animal rights. Cappelli draws on the current conversation about sustainability to present an argument that the social and environmental impacts of animal-derived materials are not accurately portrayed.

Expert voices featured in the documentary include vegan activists Ed Winters, Samata Pattinson, Dana Thomas, Bandana Tewari’s Samata Pattinson, Samata Pattinson, and representatives of the Australian Wool Innovation Professional Association. included.

We interviewed Capelli about making the documentary…

What made you want to make this documentary?

I think we’re making good progress when it comes to sustainability and what we’re doing to the people in our planet and our supply chains, but I feel like there’s a blind spot when it comes to animals. , the impact on the planet, on the people working in the supply chain, or living in the areas affected by these industries, is also important.

I felt it was an opportunity to start this conversation and get people who really care about sustainability and social justice to also factor the ethical treatment of animals into the equation.

You focused specifically on fur, leather and wool. Why did you choose those three?

If you look around your closet and surroundings, I think these three are big. We have researched in 7 countries, checked human rights issues, environmental issues and animal rights issues, and that is already quite a range! You may have the opportunity to delve deeper into some topics that weren’t covered in the film, such as

You worked with Keegan Coon on this particular project. Do you hope this documentary will become cowspiracy in the fashion world?

What I really liked about Cowspiracy is that Keegan did a great job creating that dialogue on a very limited budget. For Slay, I think it’s important to engage with fashion experts and sustainable and ethical fashion activists and think about how we can work together. This is why Emma Håkansson of Collective Fashion Justice is my partner. I think she does an excellent job of getting everyone involved without leaving anyone out of the conversation and pushing others forward. It’s really about accelerating.

I always made this with the audience in mind.My audience was actually me 10 years ago. Out of pure ignorance. Whether you work in the fashion industry or not, I think a lot of people would care more if they had access to this information. The big focus is getting out of these echo chambers.

One of the film’s most powerful moments is when he breaks down crying on a fur farm in China. How was that experience?

I am not an overly emotional person. One of my concerns when I went there was what would happen if I couldn’t handle my emotions. But when you see them, it just happens.

It’s hard to understand that I contributed to it, and I used to unwittingly support it. But it was also a great moment in terms of personal growth. It was an important moment in my life and I would always choose that moment.

Were you nervous about going on a lamb rescue mission in Australia?

The most shocking thing was that even though I trusted the integrity of the activists who were doing this, I was a little skeptical. I thought, “Am I really going to find anything?” We’ve passed that fence, but it’s sad to see you see it so soon.

It was a very relaxing moment. It was so creepy. It was foggy. That’s why Rescue Her Ram is called Foggy. There were birds chirping. But I see a little baby searching for someone alone in the dark.

You make the argument that natural fibers are more sustainable and why it’s a myth. What did you learn about making this documentary?

This is a complex conversation that cannot be simplified. I think a lot of what we see is an oversimplified view of things. Fossil fuels, synthetic fibers, microplastics, or animal-based and sustainable. I think we deserve to be better now in 2022. Given the access to data we have, the images we have, and the amount of work done by many organizations, we need to take a more balanced approach.

I think we need to understand that synthetic fibers contribute to the climate crisis, but in addition to causing so much harm to animals, so does the fur, leather and wool industries. We need to address and look to the ongoing innovations in this area. Just because it’s animal-free doesn’t mean it’s magically sustainable.

Do you think it is possible to ban animal-derived fashion materials?

Also, let’s not forget the people working in these industries. For example, we cannot suddenly shut down all the tanneries in India and throw millions out of their livelihoods. We need those who work at the mercy of his chain of supply to be cared for and have the transferable skills to do their jobs with more dignity.

I think fur should be banned now. There is absolutely no justification. It also causes health problems, as we have seen with COVID. The EU is launching this initiative and he has collected a million signatures to demand not only a ban on fur farms in Europe, but also the sale of furs. If we are serious about the climate crisis, we are tackling this challenge, and we are really serious about our future and the future of our children, at some point we have to make tough decisions and ban some things. I think there is I’m not saying that there are all solutions and that they are easy to do, but I do believe that we need to move away from exploitation entirely.