Fur Free Alliance, Mena Suvari partner for anti-fur video
USA, 10 DECEMBER 2020 – Released today, “Hide” follows three interconnected stories behind a single fur coat from the trapper who catches the fox, to the seamstress who sews the fur coat, to the shopper, played by Suvari, who buys it. The thought-provoking film highlights the cruelty behind the fur trade and the hypocrisy of loving some furry animals while supporting the suffering of others.
The new PSA from writer and director Dustin Brown shines a spotlight on the bloody fur trade
Mena Suvari said:
“I am honored to have been a part of this PSA in working with the Fur Free Alliance. I have always felt so strongly about the need to bring more awareness into what we choose to wear and consider “fashionable”. There is no need to wear animals, especially fur, and so I am truly grateful to be part of this project that helps conveys such a powerful message showcasing how the fur industry negatively affects so many.”
Mena Suvari adopted a plant-based diet in early 2018, and soon after, got rid of all her animal-based wardrobe and started anew cruelty free.
Suvari and filmmaker Dustin Brown partnered with the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of 50+ animal protection organizations working together to end the animal cruelty in the fur industry. “Hide” is a follow-up to Brown’s 2019 viral hit “Casa de Carne” which highlighted issues of animal suffering in food production and won multiple awards. Brown said:
“It was an incredible experience working with Mena Suvari and the Fur Free Alliance. I am grateful for the opportunity to tell a story about the inherent cruelty of the fur trade. Whether it’s a fox trapped in North America, a mink on a fur farm in Europe, or a factory worker in China, they are all connected by a system of exploitation. The underlying theme is compassion.”
The film features music from Billie Eilish who has used her platform to encourage people to stop wearing fur.
The United States and Canada are the top producers of trapped fur in the world. Even though over 100 countries, including the EU and China, have prohibited the use of the steel-jaw leghold traps, trappers in North American commonly use them to kill millions of wild animals a year for the global fur market. Animals caught in crippling leg-hold traps can suffer for days without food or water and have been known to gnaw off their limbs to escape. These archaic traps are indiscriminate, often maiming and killing non-target animals, including threatened species and pets.
The majority of fur comes from fur factory farms where animals spend their entire lives in cramped battery cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviours like running, digging and swimming. Their suffering is only ended by crude gassing or electrocution.
Thankfully, the fur trade is on the decline as more brands and retailers – including Gucci, Armani, Hugo Boss and Prada – have announced fur free policies with the Fur Free Alliance and more cities, states and countries have passed laws ending fur production, sales or imports.
