When I announced that Redemption, my film about the No Kill revolution in America, was accepted to its first film festival, the film festival received an email threatening a protest: “We will demonstrate if you allow this film to be shown,” it said. I was also called a “vile man” who is part of “the most evil movement ever.” Really? The “most evil movement ever”? For suggesting that we can save th...e lives of dogs, cats, rabbits, and hamsters? The film festival was not swayed. Organizers had seen the film and the disconnect between the claims and the film were immediately obvious. The film is an inspirational, uplifting portrayal of what we can accomplish when we reject killing and implement common sense alternatives; about the tremendous lifesaving change that follows when shelters believe in the community and trust in the power of compassion. It is above love, which is why I am screening it nationwide as part of my 2014 “No Kill is Love” tour. Of course, it also helps that in the media, the first amendment is sacrosanct. You simply don’t ask a film festival to embrace censorship on threat of a protest as it is surely to backfire. Not surprisingly, backfire it did. Moreover, I’ve been hearing these threats since the tour started and 13 cities later, they have failed to materialize. In fact, I showed the film in Norfolk, Virginia, minutes from PETA’s headquarters—an organization that slaughters puppies and kittens and other animals by the thousands: bit.ly/1bdIqes. We had a full house, a standing ovation, and a positive media story. PETA? Not a peep. What’s all the fuss? Find out. Join me this Friday in Las Vegas for a screening of the film, followed by a seminar on how you can help build a No Kill community: bit.ly/RGPiyv. Unfortunately, the Saturday screening in Phoenix is already sold-out, but there are plenty of other opportunities for you to see the film: bit.ly/1tBkTPU. And then those of you who can’t understand what all the controversy is about will also be able to see the opposition to No Kill for who and what they really are. (The film has since been accepted to a second film festival and has also been invited to screen at an exciting new venue that will reach a whole new group of people and bring them into the movement, thus increasing the pressure for shelter reform. To spare organizers the crazy, I’ll announce the venues on the eve of the screenings. via Nathan Winograd
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:21:54 +0000
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