A ground-breaking documentary which charts the journey of animal welfare in Australia from a fringe issue to a major community concern will have its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
That will be followed by screenings at Sydney Underground Film Festival and a North American premiere at the Portland Film Festival.
The Animal Condition is seen through the eyes of four friends in their 20s who take an investigative road trip around rural Australia unafraid to ask questions as they speak to all sides, from activists and welfare agencies to government and industry. They document the many ways humans relate to the animals they eat. This objectivity and youthful approach gained them unprecedented access to the Australian egg, pork and cattle industries, famous for their privacy.
The documentary screens at a critical time as the war between animal industry and welfare groups rages over Barnaby Joyce’s proposed agricultural gag or ‘ag-gag’ laws. This film is bound to contribute to the fierce debate.
The Animal Condition chronicles three and a half years of recent Australian history, as animal welfare grew from fringe issue to national focus with protests in the streets, and features interviews with industry heavyweights (incl. Australian Pork Limited and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), federal politicians (incl. the then Minister for Agriculture Senator the Hon. Joe Ludwig and the Hon. Bob Katter MP), animal welfare advocates (incl. Lyn White, Peter Singer), Indigenous Australians, immigrant factory workers, philosophers and scientists.
Along their journey, with each new encounter the four share their reactions, shifting viewpoints and personal reflections with the audience.
Director Michael Dahlstrom said “The Animal Condition is a documentary about human and animal suffering; the dying farmer unable to keep his operating costs low enough to break even, the activist jailed for refusing to pay trespassing fines and the animals caught in the middle. But most of all, the film is an exploration of the arguments we use to justify our treatment of others. How a farmer treats his dog is very different to the way he treats his pigs. The conditions dealt out to immigrant factory workers are very different to those enjoyed by their managers. It is not just a story about animal welfare, but a story about how we as humans treat each other.”
The Animal Condition is a film by Code Talk Films, a collaboration between Augusta Miller (HAPPY FEET, RISKING OUR KIDS), Ande Cunningham (SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, RAKER), Michael Dahlstrom (Directing Debut) and Sarah-Jane McAllan (BEFORE THE RAIN, RAKER, THE WONDERFUL). THE ANIMAL CONDITION is the first film to be directed by Michael Dahlstrom.
Trailer and further information available at: WWW.THEANIMALCONDITION.COM!
MIFF screenings:
World Premiere: Saturday 2 August at 13:30 (Treasury Theatre)
Monday 4 August at 21:00 (ACMI)
Portland Film Festival August 28 & 30
Sydney Underground Film Festival Sunday 7 September at 13.00
Director Michael Dahlstrom will also be a panelist at MIFF’s Talking Pictures along side world renowned documentary makers Kitty Green (Ukraine Is Not A Brothel) and Ari Seth Cohen / Lina Plioplyte (Advanced Style). He will discuss animal welfare and the documentary filmmaking process.