Films / Movies / Films & Videos

Earthlings – Exposing the Cruel Truth

by Jennie Richards · Published February 20, 2017 · Updated April 13, 2019

“If I could make everyone in the world see one film, I’d make them see EARTHLINGS.” – Peter Singer, author Animal Liberation

This ground-breaking, disturbingly powerful documentary is possibly one of the hardest films you will ever watch, but it’s also one of the most important films to watch – by everyone. Through the use of hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage taken from around the world, EARTHLINGS chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world that rely on animals for business and profit. Six years in the making, the film takes an in-depth look at five major industries that use animals including the food, clothing, entertainment, scientific research and pet industries.

EARTHLINGS exposes the horrific and devastating atrocities and exploitation committed against animals on a daily basis and on a worldwide scale, for humans. The film highlights the unethical and cruel treatment of animals inherent in these businesses and exposes how omnipresent the brutality is from circuses and rodeos to animal shelters and pet breeders to leather and fur manufacturers and slaughterhouses. The monstrous and unrelenting abuse of sentient animals is compared to the large-scale human atrocities that have caused needless suffering including slavery, the holocaust, and genocides where masses of people are unjustly exploited and subjected to brutality at the hands of their oppressors and the more powerful. The film draws parallels between racism, sexism and speciesism. Though it does not offer solutions to all of the problems it seeks to expose, it challenges and provokes us – the viewer – to gain our voice, to speak up for animals who cannot fight, and not be silent and complicit in their exploitation and abuse. In this way, the film gives a voice to the billions of living, sentient beings that are completely powerless to change their fate or speak out on their own behalf. But we can.

When King Lear asked Gloucester who was blind, “How do you see the world” Gloucester replied, “I see it feelingly. I see it feelingly.”

“Human beings should love animals as the knowing love the innocent, and the strong love the vulnerable.”

The film is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, featuring music by Moby, and was written, produced and directed by Shaun Monson – gathering footage over six years and from around the world.

Film Length: 1 Hour, 35 Minutes

Film Premiered: September 2005

How to Watch the Film

More about the film on Nation Earth

Rent, stream or buy the film on Nation Earth

You can download the full version of EARTHLINGS at www.earthlings.com. The film is available with subtitles in 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Hindi, Arabic and Portuguese.

What You Can Do

Speak Up For Animals – Develop your voice and speak out against animal cruelty in any and all forms, and speak up for protecting animals – they need your voice.
Be The Change – Adopt a vegan plant-based diet to make one of the biggest positive impacts you can make on animals in order to reduce the violence done to them. Reduce or eliminate meat, dairy, eggs and fish – and you will save animals, your health, and the environment.
Stop Buying Clothing from Animals – Don’t buy leather, fur, reptile skin, duck or goose down, angora from rabbits, suede, etc., that supports a culture of cruelty to animals and perpetuates the business of exploiting animals for clothing when there are better non-animal options and alternatives to buy. These non-animal options have many more benefits.
Don’t Buy Products that Support Animal Testing – Buy ONLY cruelty-free household and cosmetic products that are NOT TESTED on animals, look for the Leaping Bunny logo on products. Many, many brands and companies unnecessarily conduct cruel tests on animals that poison them, blind them, force them to inhale toxins, and make them suffer immeasurably. Here are lists of cruelty-free companies and products, carry it with you.
Don’t Attend Zoos, Circuses, Marine Parks or Support Performing Animals Anywhere – Don’t attend or support any entertainment platform that is exploiting animals through cruel training methods, cruel confinement, poor treatment, and forced performances for humans. These industries are cause animals to suffer needlessly and thoughtlessly, and are very abusive to animals. Many of the industries have forcibly removed the animals from their natural environment and families.
Adopt Don’t Shop, Rescue Don’t Buy – Adopt a rescue dog or cat from your local shelter or cat/dog rescue group; don’t buy from a breeder that supports breeding more new animals into an overcrowded system that disposes millions of them through euthanasia every single year. Know that breeders dispose of and euthanize all the newborns that are sick, diseased, unadopted or unwanted, commercial breeding can be very unethical. Don’t support this abuse and exploitation of animals for profit.
Vote for Legislators that Consistently Vote FOR Animals – Know how your legislators vote on animal welfare and animal rights issues, and DON’T vote for legislators that vote for more inhumane laws based on cruelty that further exploit animals. DO vote for humane legislators.
Get Politically Active! – Write, call and email your state and federal legislators about animal issues. Your voice counts, it’s easy to do, just keep a list of your state and federal legislators by your computer, then speak out!
Spread the Word – Share your concerns on social media and tell friends and family about how to be a more humane, compassionate, and conscientious consumer.
Share the Film – Share this important documentary as a way to raise awareness about the many ways animals are brutally exploited. Many people aren’t aware and watching the film can be a catalyst for change, to choosing to live a cruelty-free life and adopt more humane values.