Vegan documentary 73 Cows will be shown to policy makers at the European Parliament in Brussels in an attempt to inspire agricultural policy change.

The BAFTA-winning documentary features former cattle farmer Jay Wilde, who gave his cows to an animal sanctuary in Norfolk as he couldn’t live with the idea of slaughtering them.

Politicians in European Parliament will be shown the video in March thanks to a screening organised by the Humane Society.

‘Inspire change’

“We never could have predicted this, but to try and inspire change in agricultural policies,  73 Cows  will be screened at the European Parliament in Brussels this March,” the film’s director Alex Lockwood told Plant Based News.

“Myself, Jay and Katja [Wilde] will also be taking part in a post-screening Q&A. Thank you to the Humane Society International for inviting us.

“We never expected our little film could potentially have a direct impact on European policy. We’re beyond proud. Never underestimate the power of film.”

Jay Wilde grew up in a family of cattle farmers, but had reservations about its ethics. When he inherited the farm from his father, he changed the business to focus on organic beef farming rather than dairy as he thought this was less harmful to cows.

But in 2017 he met with The Vegan Society and decided to give his animals to Hillside Animal Sanctuary and take up vegan organic farming.

73 Cows won a BAFTA Award for Best Short Film and is available to watch on Curzon Home Cinema for £5. It will be released on Vimeo for free on April 1.

• Read: Joaquin Phoenix produces new animal rights documentary

Do you think the screening at European Parliament will inspire policy change? Tell us in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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