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August 2000
From Vision to Video: Compassion in Action

The Satya Interview with James LaVeck

 


James LaVeck is the producer of The Witness, the first of four documentaries about animal advocates (see review by Lydon). He is the co-founder with Jenny Stein of Tribe of Heart, a non-profit organization that promotes humane education and the arts. LaVeck emerged momentarily from the overwhelmingly positive response to The Witness to share his views on activism and compassion, and his thoughts on the film.

What inspired you and Jenny Stein to found Tribe of Heart and to conceive of the Animal People anthology?
When Jenny and I first started to work together almost ten years ago, we had a vision of using the power of the arts to address some of the most serious problems in society in a way that helped individuals and also created community. Out of this process, Tribe of Heart was born—first came the name, and shortly thereafter the mission, to serve people and projects that awaken the harmony, wisdom, and joy that dwell in all beings. What inspired us then, and still does to this day, is the idea of promoting compassionate living, which we see as both a philosophy and a way of life.

The Animal People anthology is the first major undertaking of our organization, and the inspiration for it can be found in a pivotal experience that happened to us four years ago. As long-time ethical vegetarians who hadn’t previously been actively involved in promoting compassion for animals, we were profoundly moved by a chance viewing of the HBO documentary "Animals: To Love or Kill." Our first reaction was one of despair, that this problem of animal suffering was so huge that we couldn’t possibly do anything that would make an impact. But eventually we began to realize that we had the skills and experience to accomplish what the maker of that documentary had accomplished, in effect to wake people up to this crisis. We saw a demand that needed to be met—providing tools for educational purposes that would foster compassion for both animals and people.

The mission statement of Tribe of Heart says that "one of the central goals of the Animal People anthology is to draw attention to the essential unity of the principles behind the human rights, animal rights, environmental and peace movements." What do you consider to be the unifying principles?
When we studied the underlying principles of the human rights, animal rights, and environmental movements, what we saw was an essential unifying principle, that of respect for life. Each life, whether that of a human, an animal, or even of our planetary ecosystem as a whole, is something unique and precious, and each of these social movements is in one way or another asking us to understand, appreciate, and act with consideration toward other beings, however they might differ from ourselves. What we have in common, as people, as creatures living on planet earth, is overwhelmingly more significant than what divides us from each other. So these movements are asking us to let go of our attachment to our often exaggerated sense of separateness and focus instead on the intricate and amazing web of interconnections that bind us all together.

By integrating consideration of human rights and environmental issues into our Animal People documentaries, we are building bridges to people who have developed an understanding of how things are interconnected in one area but are not yet aware of the interconnectedness of the whole—for example, how the mass mistreatment of animals is destroying the environment or how the disparaging comments and personal attacks often directed at animal rights advocates are practically identical, word for word, with the attacks made on people who historically advocated for women’s rights, gay rights, and civil rights. Once a person becomes aware of such interconnections, setting a goal of developing compassion toward all beings becomes natural.

What kinds of responses to The Witness have you seen—from animal people and from those who were relatively unaware of the issues addressed in the film?
Between July 1 and 16, 2000, The Witness was presented at three national conferences: Animal Rights 2000 in McLean, VA; the Vegetarian Summerfest in Asheville, NC; and the World Vegetarian Congress in Toronto, Canada.

A total of 11 screenings were held, three of which were standing-room only that were added to schedules in response to public demand. Through these, approximately 1,000 people viewed The Witness. During the screenings, many audience members expressed strong emotion, including both laughter and tears. One of the most striking things we saw was the diversity of people—ranging from eight years old to upwards of 75, representing a number of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds—who came forward to share their appreciation of The Witness. The documentary was also embraced by people from all points on the philosophical spectrum with regard to animal issues, from relative newcomers to long-time activists, from those with an animal welfare focus to those more interested in animal rights.

Many of those who saw The Witness seem to have been inspired to take action in their own lives. One woman who attended a screening in Asheville—not yet even a vegetarian at the time—after viewing The Witness told her daughter, "That’s it. I’m a vegan. And I’m getting rid of my leather purse and my leather couch right away." One ten-year-old boy who told us he had not yet become a vegetarian asked his vegetarian mother to purchase the videotape so they could show it to friends and family.

Those already more informed about animal issues seemed to feel that The Witness made it much easier to express their values to people who were unaware of these issues or even unsympathetic. One woman told us that she planned to show The Witness to her brother, who runs a meat processing plant. Many individual activists and organizations expressed an interest in emulating Eddie Lama’s street-level education efforts by building or acquiring a Faunavision van.

More recently, I’ve been corresponding with a 12 year old boy who is showing The Witness to his entire extended family. So far he has an aunt who is now going veggie, an uncle who is going to give up hunting, and a couple of young cousins who are now really thinking about the issues. It is great to think about what this might mean in his life, to have found a way to work for positive change at 12.

In general, viewers seem to experience the documentary as a non-judgmental presentation of one person’s story, a vehicle for uncovering a secret that needs to be shared in order for the suffering to stop. Many people have told of us of their plans to show The Witness to everyone they know, including co-workers, family members, friends, and members of their religious community. We’re happily surprised by how many "non-animal people" wish to share The Witness with others, as they are shocked by the horrendous cruelty inherent in the industries it exposes that are part of day-to-day life in our society.

What are the next three volumes going to cover?
Volume two, Peaceable Kingdom, will address factory farming. It will be a portrait of a group of people, many of whom came from a farming background; we’ll also be meeting a lot of animals, learning about their personalities and breaking through the stereotype that farm animals are some kind of mass, undifferentiated thing. Volume three, Created Equal, will examine vivisection with a particular focus on the great apes. Volume four, Justice for All, will explore the relationship between violence committed against animals and violence between humans.

The Witness will be screened at The Brooklyn Film Festival in Manhattan on Saturday, September 9, at the Clearview Cinemas at 239 E. 59 St. For exact times, check the Brooklyn Film Festival website at www.brooklynfilm.org or call (212) 426-7674. To learn more about Tribe of Heart and the Animal People Anthology or to order a VHS copy of The Witness ($20), visit www.tribeofheart.org or call (607) 275-0806.


James LaVeck on Role Models and the Future

There are many reasons why Eddie [Lama] is a good role model. Eddie showed us a very fiercely compassionate man, a man using his masculine energy in a very positive, loving way and that was very striking for us just upon meeting him. It was something that we wanted to share that this is a possible example for men, and for anybody, not just Ivy League-educated people or those who grew up in wealthy families. These were values that anybody could learn from.

The best, ultimate [outcome of this film] would be that everyone sees [The Witness] and they see it because someone they know shared it with them. We believe that all people have within themselves the capacity to grow in their compassion for others. All people also have the capability of encouraging that in the people around them, and that’s one of the most meaningful activities that we can participate in on this journey together. By giving our best to creating conditions that facilitate the unfolding of compassion, particularly a conscious commitment to cultivate compassion with one’s life, we’re really helping ourselves, the other people we know, the animals, and the world.—Excerpt from an interview with Marla Rose. Visit www.veganstreet.com to read in its entirety.


 


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