Vegan goes to Hollywood …

1. BUTENLAND (2020)
The story of a dairy farmer turned animal rescuer, Butenland is a gripping German documentary film about a farm of the same name, and a unique project in the north of Germany. Of course, the main characters are the animals themselves. They are joined by former dairy farmer Jan Gerdes, and animal rights activist Karin Mück. The film follows the two of them on their exciting journey. For some time, Jan Gerdes had had the feeling that keeping livestock was going against all his principles. But what could he do? The genius idea he came up with in the end was to turn his farm into an “old people’s home” for cows. He was supported by Karin Mück, who has been fighting for animal rights since the 1980s, and is known as a pioneer in taking action to free animals. The film shows us how a beautiful place comes into being – a wonderful place which is now dedicated to the wellbeing of 30 cows. Many of the beautiful animals were formerly so-called “livestock” animals, before being rescued from slaughterhouses and laboratories. In that respect, the film is optimistic in mood, because it allows us to witness people who stand up for animals’ rights day in, day out, and have managed to create a new, peaceful form of coexistence. In our eyes, the film is already a classic.

2. The End of Meat (2017)
Another German documentary which sets out a vision for the future. What could the world look like if people no longer ate meat? Director Marc Pierschel shows the advantageous effects this would have on animal welfare, the environment, and on us humans. If you’ve always wanted to have the advantages of a plant-based diet presented in a slick way, this film is perfect for you. The focus is on how we can treat animals differently.

3. The Game Changers (2018)
This film is really impressive. And it’s no wonder, given that it was directed by the Oscar-winning Louie Psihoyos, and that star director James Cameron also has a guest role. In The Game Changers, famous athletes such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrik Baboumian, Lewis Hamilton and others show how, by consuming a good plant-based diet with no animal proteins at all, you can get to the top of the game in professional sport. In the film, professional sportspeople explain how they not only experienced no deterioration in their performance after becoming vegan, but how they actually had even more energy and were able to perform even better. The film follows martial artist and special forces instructor James Wilks on his search for the truth about proteins, meat consumption and humans’ ability to perform. Wilks’ story aims to change our perspective on food, professional sport, and what real strength is. By the way, in one of our articles (“Vegan athlets”), we showed that competitive and elite athletes can be successful despite not eating meat – really successful!

4. Taste the Waste
When this German film by Valentin Thurn came out in 2011, its subtitle already asked the question: Why do we throw our food away? The film isn’t about vegan diets specifically, but about how we deal with food in general, that is to say: how much food we waste here in industrial countries. According to the film, the food we throw away in North America and Europe would be enough to feed all the starving people in the world twice or three times over.

5. Earthlings (2005)
This classic vegan film is not for the squeamish. It takes aim at the brutal reality of the billions of animals that we keep as livestock, and slaughter. We’ll leave it up to you to judge whether the stark images of animal suffering are made any more bearable by the narrator’s calm voice, or by the music. Nonetheless, this is a very important film because it touches people, and they therefore take a good look at what is going on rather than just avoiding the subject all the time.

6. Los Veganeros (2015 und 2017)
Things don’t always have to be depressing. The documentary Los Veganeros, which can be considered a comedy, approaches the topic of veganism with a touch of humor.The film by vegan Lars Oppermann features well-known German actors and actresses such as Nils Brunkhorst and Rosalie Wolff and Danish actress Inez Björg David. The mixture of comedy and drama which surrounds a group of vegan activists, from kindergarten teacher Vicky to 94-year-old Alma, is presented in an exciting, entertaining way. Thanks to the film’s success, a second part was released in 2017.

7. More than Honey (2012)
Busy bees are in danger! The fact that bees are dying has been known for some time now. Because of this, we know what an important role they play in our own survival. This documentary film by Swiss director Markus Imhoof focuses on the dramatic consequences of wild bee colony collapse in places from California to China – and that includes Europe. Viewers get an insight into the work of beekeepers and research teams. And yes, industrial beekeeping can also be referred to as a type of “factory farming”. As well as presenting the problems posed by pesticides, antibiotics, monocultures and many other aspects, the film also whisks viewers off into the fascinating world of bees, with plenty of stunning images. Of course, you won’t find any honey on sale on the Velivery website (instead, take a look at our great alternatives (Beeneo), and we also took a closer look at the topic of bees and honey.

8. The Twin Experiment (2024)
This Netflix series, which is as entertaining as it is informative, presents a large-scale twin study carried out in 2022. 22 pairs of twins took part in the study. One twin from each pair went on a purely plant-based diet for the elaborate study, while the other twin followed a balanced omnivorous diet. The results were very enlightening, and the series really is entertaining and interesting to watch. Why not find out more in the article we wrote about it? Just click here.

9. Glass World (2021)
This is more than just a beautiful film. It’s about looking at things from a broad range of angles. The audiovisual project by Raphael Sommer about the relationship between people and planet includes a multi-part film as well as an audiobook. The music will really captivate you, as will the breathtaking images. These are accompanied by poetic texts and many ideas – including scientific ones – from biologist Dr Mark Benecke, aimed to make us reflect on what mark we want to leave on the Earth.

10. Dominion (2018)
The Australian documentary film “Dominion” tackles the subject of animal suffering, and doesn’t shy away from touching on difficult topics. We’re shown the awful conditions in which various species of animals are kept, with some of the footage filmed by drones or hidden cameras. The film also features some interviews with famous people. This moving documentary aims to throw into question whether humans should have dominion over animals. What other relationships between humans and animals are thinkable?

11. Seaspiracy (2021)
This Netflix documentary is all about the catastrophic consequences of overfishing. As impressive as it is depressing, the film shows the state of our world’s seas, that there is no such thing as sustainable fishing, and what power we have as consumers. As soon as we saw this film, we felt vindicated in our decision to provide delicious fish alternatives here at Velivery, and to draw attention to wonderful sea animals such as the octopus.

12. Live and Let Live (2013)
The documentary Live and Let Live also focuses on animal welfare and on the relationship between humans and animals.It presents the history of veganism and its ecological, ethical and health-related aspects. What is it that moves people to follow a vegan diet? We hear the stories of six people who have given up animal products for a broad range of different reasons. How has it changed their lives?

13. Slay (2022)
The documentary film “Slay” by French director and animal rights defender Rebecca Cappelli is another watch that isn’t for the faint hearted. The film reveals the suffering faced by animals as part of the fashion industry. The film was co-produced by Keegan Kuhn, who also worked on Seaspiracy.

14. Mein Lehrer, der Krake (2020)
This film is poetic, deeply moving, and full of powerful images. It tells the story of an unusual friendship between a human and an octopus. We reported on it in detail in our octopus article.

15. Cowspiracy (2014)
In the documentary film “Cowspiracy”, producer Kip Andersen gets to the bottom of the link between factory farming, climate and environmental protection, while also shedding light on the fact that many environmental organizations haven’t realized this link yet. It’s very interesting to see how the film team analyzes well-known environmental organizations.

16. What the Health (2017)
What effect do animal products have on our bodies compared with plant-based foods? This film provides plenty of food for thought for those interested in the health-related aspects of a vegan diet. The film was made by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, who also collaborated to make Cowspiracy. They make clear what the advantages of a plant-based diet are.

17. Okja (2017)
A US-South Korean film from 2017 with plenty of powerful emotions. A girl called Mija grows up in the mountains of South Korea alongside her best friend – a gentle giant of an animal by the name of Okja. Okja is a genetically modified “super pig”. However, things become less idyllic when an international group of companies kidnaps Okja and takes her to New York. Motivated by money alone, they want to cover up the genetic manipulation that has taken place. Mija resolves to come to the aid of her larger-than-life friend. She has to work out how to deal not only with profit-hungry companies – but also with angry demonstrators who want to instrumentalize Okja for their own aims. An exciting story that touches your heart while looking critically at how animals are kept, bred and how humans make money out of them.

18. Das System Milch (The Milk System) (2017)
What is the link between milk consumption and animals being killed? This documentary not only shows the effects the dairy industry has on cows – it also paints a very stark picture of the consequences the industry has on both people and planet. As you know, there are plenty of alternatives to milk and dairy products to be found on our website here at Velivery.

19. Gabel statt Skalpell (2011)
In this documentary, renowned biochemist Prof. Campbell explains his research into the link between the consumption of animal proteins and the incidence of Western diseases of civilization. The documentary manages to refrain from pointing the finger. In this way, the film gives us motivation to change our diets to include more plant-based foods, and to be healthier and more balanced.

20. Food, Inc. – Was essen wir wirklich? (2008)
Unfortunately, the widely held belief that our food comes from cows grazing happily on green meadows is false.The documentary film FOOD, INC. sheds light on the irresponsible practices of the food industry. It provides an honest, critical look at animal suffering, at farmers’ livelihoods, and at the health risks which exist for us as consumers.

21. Hope For All: Unsere Nahrung, Unsere Hoffnung (2016)
et another myth we need to rid ourselves of is the old adage that: “If you want to grow up to be big and strong, you have to eat meat, eggs and dairy.” This film contradicts that assumption. In doing so, it shows that the industrial nations are in the middle of a health crisis, with increasing incidence of heart and circulatory diseases, extreme overweight, diabetes and more. H.O.P.E.: What You Eat Matters is a wake-up call about the consequences of our western dietary habits. This is illustrated by the life stories we’re shown. So, where is the hope in all of this? We all have it in our power: by steering our own eating habits, we can have an influence on the wellbeing of the entire planet, with all its living beings.