Montreal, September 23, 2013 – The Montreal SPCA invites the public to come and see the acclaimed documentary – The Ghosts in Our Machine – from award-winning director Liz Marshall. The film, which follows the work and devotion of celebrated animal activist and photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, will be presented on September 29, 30 and October 1, 2 and 3, 2013, at Cinema du Parc in Montreal. Alanna Devine, Director of animal advocacy at the Montreal SPCA, will be a special guest on the first and third evenings for Q & A sessions.
This consciousness-raising documentary focuses on our human relationship to non-human animals by accompanying Jo-Anne McArthur over the course of a year as she documents this relationship through her photography for her We Animals project. As the movie follows Jo-Anne through Canada, the U.S. and in Europe, we witness how the machine of our modern world has transformed so many animals into ‘ghosts’, who serve as commodities in global industries such food, fashion, entertainment and research.
This past spring, The Ghosts In Our Machine had a successful world premiere at the 20th Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival – it was voted a top ten-audience favorite. The movie also won the Yorkton Golden Sheaf Award for Best Nature/Environmental Documentary. Screening in theaters and festivals across Canada, the movie has received much attention and praise from well-known personnalities and by international animal and environmental advocates. Radiohead agreed to the use of their song “Give Up The Ghost” for use in the film.
This is a masterful film. It should be essential viewing for everyone. – James Cromwell, Actor.
The truth can be hard to take, but we have an obligation to look and see what’s going on, and, if we don’t like it, a chance to stop going along with it. This important film provides precisely that insight and that opportunity. – Bill Maher, Television host, Political commentator, and Author.
This documentary is part of the project called We Animals which documents, through photography, animals in the human environment. It aims to break down the barriers that humans have built which allow us to treat non-human animals as objects and not as beings with moral significance. Jo-Anne McArthur, who has been documenting the plight of animals on all seven continents for over ten years, has also worked with the Montreal SPCA on several occasions.
The Montreal SPCA invites you to join us for the screening of the movie at 7:00 pm at Cinema du Parc on the following dates:
- Sunday, September 29 – Q&A with Director, Producer Liz Marshall and Special Guest Alanna Devine, Director of animal advocacy at the Montreal SPCA.
- Monday, September 30 – Q&A with Director, Producer Liz Marshall and Photographer, Protagonist Jo-Anne McArthur.
- Tuesday, October 1st – Q&A with Photographer, Protagonist Jo-Anne McArthur and Special Guest Alanna Devine, Director of animal advocacy at the Montreal SPCA.
- Wednesday, October 2nd
- Thursday, October 3rd
The Ghosts In Our Machine asks: Are non-human animals property to be owned and used or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?
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Media Contact: Alanna Devine, Director of animal advocacy, Montreal SPCA, 514-735-2711, ext 2245, or adevine@spcamontreal.com
About the SPCA: founded in Montreal in 1869, the SPCA was the first humane society in Canada. Based on humanitarian principles, our mission is to:
- protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation;
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being;
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all living beings
Visit our website at www.spca.com
The Ghosts In Our Machine is produced by Nina Beveridge (The Idealist – James Beveridge Film Guru; The Calling) and Liz Marshall through their Toronto based company Ghosts Media Inc. It is produced in Association with documentary, Commissioning Editor is Bruce Cowley. Edited by Roland Schlimme and Roderick Deogrades, Cinematography by John Price, Iris Ng, Nick de Pencier, Liz Marshall.
Original music score by Bob Wiseman. Sound team is Jason Milligan, Garrett Kerr and Daniel Pellerin.
Executive Producer, Mila Aung-Thwin.
For more information, set up interviews, request a screener for review purposes, get GAT:
Ingrid Hamilton | ingrid@gat.ca | 416-731-3034
Daniela Ponce | daniela@gat.ca | 647-239-3034
Pictures available at www.gat.ca/media | login | un: media | pw: media | Film | The Ghosts In Our Machine
