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A vegan-interest film which tells the story of a Derbyshire farmer who gave his cows to a sanctuary has been nominated for a prestigious BAFTA award.
Short film 73 Cows features cattle former farmer – and now vegan – Jay Wilde, who discussed how ‘soul destroying’ his profession was, but how difficult it was to break out of his family farming tradition. His – and wife Katja’s – story made headlines when he initially revealed that he’d given away the animals and turned to vegetable farming, supported by The Vegan Society.
This inspired filmmaker Alex Lockwood to approach the couple, and ask to make the film about their story – which Lockwood financed himself, making on a shoestring budget.
Vegan on film
“I’m over the moon to have been nominated for a BAFTA,” Director Alex Lockwood told Plant Based News. “I’m really proud of the team and I think we’re all just a little bit shocked at the moment. It hasn’t quite sunk it.
“When we set out with no budget and a such a small team, we never anticipated that the film would get the response that it is.
“We’ve all been making films for a long time and so it’s great to finally produce something which is having an impact. We owe a huge thanks to Jay and Katja Wilde for letting us tell their story which has resonated with so many people.”
Going vegan
Lockwood told PBN that making the film has had a huge impact on his outlook, changing his habits. “When I set out to make 73 Cows I had been vegetarian for a while but during production, I slowly phased out all animal products from my diet,” he said.
“I’ve been fully vegan for about five months now and I feel great for it. One of the big factors contributing to me going vegan was watching documentaries. Documentaries can be so powerful and have the ability to change the world, which is one of the reasons I want to keep making them.”
73 Cows previously scooped top honors at the first Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival (OIVFF), with the jury describing it as ‘a beautiful and moving film that traces Jay’s journey through the changes he never expected’.
73 Cows is available to watch on Vimeo here
The BAFTAS will be announced in a ceremony on February 10.
