Award-Winning Filmmakers To Present World Premiere Of New Documentary "Peaceable Kingdom"

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Monday, 23 February 2004

Documentary shares life-changing story of fourth generation cattleman joining farm animal rescuers to expose the excesses and inequity of factory farming.

The world premiere of Peaceable Kingdom, a documentary film that exposes the disparity between the storybook image of farming that is taught to us as children and the stark reality of today's factory farms, will screen on Saturday, February 28th at 7:00 pm at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and the documentary's eight subjects.

The 77-minute film, produced by James LaVeck and directed by Jenny Stein, is a production of the charitable non-profit organization Tribe of Heart, whose acclaimed first documentary, The Witness, screened at 25 film festivals worldwide, won six Best Documentary awards.

The recent outbreaks of mad cow disease and bird flu in the US have re-ignited public concern about the human health and environmental risks associated with large-scale factory farming. Meanwhile, Peaceable Kingdom explores another angle of this unfolding national drama--how the lives of former farmers and farm animal rescuers have become intertwined through their common struggle with an out-of-control industrial system.

"At the same time that the public is becoming increasingly aware that all is not well on the farm, a growing number of scientists, philosophers, spiritual leaders and legal scholars are in the process of redefining the ethics the human-animal relationship. As a result, the treatment of animals is poised to become one of the great social justice issues of the 21st century. As a documentary filmmaker, I'm fascinated by stories of individual transformation that reveal the essence of a shift waiting to happen in the society at large."

"Peaceable Kingdom is an extraordinary film because it presents the viewer with an opportunity to open their hearts and minds to the message of compassion for farm animals," said ASPCA President Edwin J. Sayres. "Americans are increasingly questioning where their food comes from. As consumers become more enlightened about the reality of factory farming and seek alternatives, the industry will need to respond."

At the core of the film are the riveting disclosures of two men raised on farms, breaking the silence of generations of the farm community. Each man is deeply troubled by what they have seen and taken part in, and separately make their way to a farm animal sanctuary where they reconnect with the animals and make peace with their past.

Harold Brown, a fifth-generation farmer, recounts with heart-wrenching honesty the pain he felt as a child having to send animals he had cared for off to slaughter. He shares the uplifting story of how adopting a rescued sanctuary cow became a turning point in his life. Howard Lyman, a fourth-generation Montana cattleman, transformed his family's small organic farm into a massive feedlot operation, and learned too late that his success was destroying the very things he loved-the land he was raised on, his physical health, and the lives of thousands of animals in his care. He shares the extraordinary personal awakening that inspired him to leave behind his multi-million dollar agribusiness empire and travel the country educating the public about the devastating consequences of factory farming.

Shot in scenic Watkins Glen, New York, at Farm Sanctuary, the nation's largest refuge for abused and neglected farm animals, Peaceable Kingdom also features the stories of founders Lorri and Gene Bauston. They explain how their spontaneous rescue of a sheep who was left for dead at a stockyard led to a series of ground-breaking undercover investigations of the nation's factory farming industry.

The Peaceable Kingdom project has attracted support from a number of public figures who have contributed to the film and its premiere events. Moby donated the use of his popular song, "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" for the film's dramatic conclusion. Artist Peter Max has created a commemorative poster celebrating the film's debut. Special guests at the premiere will include soap star Grant Aleksander, "Soprano" Edie Falco, "Golden Girl" Rue McClanahan, and independent film star Lili Taylor. The event will also be attended by many New York legislators at the city, state and federal level, including four members of congress, Rep. Gary Ackerman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Edolphus Towns, and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks.

The world premiere of Peaceable Kingdom will be followed by a west coast premiere at The Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles on March 19th, which will be attended by singer-songwriter Chynna Phillips and actor William Baldwin.

About Tribe of Heart

Tribe of Heart is a charitable non-profit organization that produces and distributes award-winning documentaries about ordinary people making an extraordinary difference for others. Tribe of Heart's first film, The Witness, released in 2000, inspired a groundswell of support from thousands of concerned citizens around the world. Their donations funded an energetic grassroots distribution campaign, as well as the making of Peaceable Kingdom. People of all ages and backgrounds have taken the initiative to bring The Witness to their communities, organizing hundreds of screenings at local theaters, universities, high schools, libraries and community centers. Enthusiastic viewers have also been responsible for convincing seven regional PBS stations to broadcast The Witness, and still others have prepared translations for international releases in Spanish (El Testigo), German (Der Zeuge), and Japanese (Mokugekisha).

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org