Eating Our Way to Extinction

Last updated
Eating Our Way to Extinction
Directed by
  • Ludo Brockway
  • Otto Brockway
Produced by
  • Ludo Brockway
  • Mark Galvin
  • Kian Tavakkoli
Narrated by Kate Winslet
Edited byOtto Brockway
Production
company
Broxstar Productions
Release date
  • October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Eating Our Way to Extinction is a 2021 documentary film, which focuses on the problem of unsustainable meat production and its effects on the environment.

Contents

The documentary premiered in London and Los Angeles in September 2021, where it was then made available for online streaming. [1]

Synopsis

The film addresses the problem of unsustainable meat production and highlights the consequences such as deforestation, increasing air and water pollution, and the resulting destruction of resources.

The film combines journalism, scientific quotes and graphics, personal interviews and investigative reporting, following in the footsteps of other climate change films like Cowspiracy and Seaspiracy . [2]

The documentary conveys the following key messages: [3] [4]

Production

The film was created, written and directed jointly by British brothers Otto and Ludovic 'Ludo' Brockway, who began the project in 2016 after a successful crowdfunding campaign. The two brothers are based in London and co-founded their production company Broxstar Productions together. The production company had previously produced a commercial for Virgin Galactic and a short film titled PLANET EARTH - As We Eat Our Way to Extinction (2015) for Mercy for Animals which acted as a precursor to the documentary. The short film was promoted by American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who called it "the video future generations will be wishing everyone watched today.” [1] Production on the film began in 2017 and lasted for five years. Filming took place in Brazil, Mongolia, Norway, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Brockway brothers partnered up with Other World Computing, who assisted with the technology used for filming. [5]

The documentary is narrated by actress Kate Winslet and includes appearances by business magnate Richard Branson and marine biologist Sylvia Earle, among others. [6] [7] The film was released on October 1, 2021. [8]

The following notable individuals were interviewed and featured in the documentary:

Reception

Writing for review site Spectrum Culture, author Tejas Yadav calls the film "a tour de force" and writes that "the sheer breadth of topics linked to environmental destruction is impressive," but admits that "at times, the quantity of subjects to cover does feel like a grocery-list of disparate items" and that "the A-list appearances feel misplaced, subtly undermining the messaging of this well-intentioned documentary." [9]

Tomáš Bendl, a PhD candidate at Charles University, recommends the film for teaching to inform students about climate change impacts on a global level. [10]

Accolades

Eating Our Way to Extinction is the winner of the 2022 Environmental Media Award for the best documentary film. [11] It also won the 2022 International Green Film Award of the Cinema for Peace Awards. [12]

The film is estimated to have reached over 10 million viewers across all the viewing platforms.[ citation needed ]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Laurence, Catherine (2021-10-05). "Is this the breakthrough documentary that will tip plant-based consciousness into the mainstream?". Nourish plant-based living. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  2. White, Catt (2023). The Imperfect Vegan: Making a Difference on a (Mostly) Plant-based Diet. [United States]: Cat White. ISBN   978-0-6459335-2-9.
  3. Animal, Sinergia (2023-02-03). ""Eating Our Way to Extinction": What it's about and where to watch it". Sinergia Animal. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  4. "Movie | Eating Our Way To Extinction". eating2extinction.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  5. "Broxstar Productions and OWC Join Forces on Eating Our Way to Extinction, a (Potentially) Earth-Saving Documentary". Rocket Yard. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  6. "A New Kate Winslet-Narrated Documentary Asks: Are We Eating Our Way To Extinction?". British Vogue. 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  7. "Eating Our Way to Extinction". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  8. "Eating Our Way to Extinction - Rotten Tomatoes". rottentomatoes.com. 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. Yadav, Tejas (2021-09-16). "Eating Our Way to Extinction". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  10. Bendl, Tomáš (2023-10-24). "Storytelling within Documentaries as a Tool for Teaching Climate Change Impacts" . The Geography Teacher. 20 (3): 136–140. Bibcode:2023GeTea..20..136B. doi:10.1080/19338341.2023.2261451. ISSN   1933-8341.
  11. "EMA Awards Past Recipients & Honorees". Environmental Media Association. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  12. "Awards 2022". Cinema for Peace Foundation. Retrieved 2023-09-07.