Phoenix ‘perfect match’ for black, white vegan docu | The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh

Joaquin Phoenix’s latest film isn’t an easy watch — and given its stark anti-meat agenda, it isn’t meant to be. The ‘Joker’ star and vegan activist executive-produced ‘Gunda,’ a stripped-down, black-and-white movie delivering intimate portraits of a cast of adorable farmyard animals.  The film has no narration, dialogue or plot. But as viewers get to know Gunda the Norwegian pig and her litter of squealing newborn piglets living their everyday lives, their inevitable fate looms.

‘The life of piglets is obvious. They become sausages,’ said director Victor Kossakovsky. ‘But Gunda, she became so famous… so many people stopped eating meat (due to the film) that the owner of the farm decided she will live until the end of her days. ‘So at least one pig is alive after this.’ Phoenix and Kossakovsky will be hoping their documentary — released Friday — could save many more.

The pair was introduced after Phoenix delivered an emotionally charged acceptance speech at February’s Oscars ceremony. The star decried how humans ‘feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow… and when she gives birth we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable.’ Crew members of Kossakovsky — accustomed to hearing him deliver similar speeches every morning on set — immediately phoned the director to ask if he had written Phoenix’s script.

‘No, I’d never talked to him,’ recalled a chuckling Kossakovsky, whose producers then screened ‘Gunda’ for Phoenix.Phoenix recalled last week how he was ‘so moved’ and had ‘never had an experience quite like this.’The actor immediately phoned Kossakovsky and told him: ‘Finally someone made it — someone showed how animals are.”He was immediately part of the team… it was such a great match,’ Kossakovsky told AFP.

—AFP