SDH Captioned
Grades 10 - 12, College, Adults
Directed by Michel Negroponte
Produced by Michel Negroponte
US Release Date: 2024
Copyright Date: 2023
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-34-9
Subjects
Agriculture
Animal Behavior/Communication
Animal Rights
Animal Science
Animals
Biology
Ecology
Ethics
Evolutionary Biology
Film Studies
Philosophy
Religion
Wildlife
Awards and Festivals
Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, The Choice International Film Festival
Best Documentary, New Jersey International Film Festival
Award Winner, Bettiah International Film Festival
Award Winner, Documentaries Without Border International Film Festival
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Melbourne Independent Film Festival
Hollywood International Golden Age Festival
ECOCINE
FilmColumbia
Equal parts rumination, observation and meditation, HERD challenges us to think differently about our fellow living animal beings.
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"Cows are fully sentient, deeply emotional, very chatty and playful." Marc Bekoff, Prof Emeritus, Biology, Univ of Colorado |
A herd of shaggy Belted Galloway cattle is delivered to a neighboring pasture in the Catskills and instantly inspires a new film. The filmmaker's growing fascination with the complex forces that propel the animals through one season to the next leads him to reflect on the modern idea of animal personhood.
The cows graze and chew their cud, new calves are born, the mothers diligently safeguard their offspring while the bull dominates the herd. Like humans, cows have distinct characteristics: some are giddy, some private, others wise and placid. Cows are sentient, and after centuries of domestication, do humans really have dominion over these complex animals? These questions have been asked for centuries: Aristotle believed that animals are purely instinctual whereas Pythagoras believed that reincarnation moves souls from humans to cows.
Reviews
"Cows are fully sentient, deeply emotional, very chatty, inquisitive, and playful socially intelligent animals with unique personalities and mothers who love their children. They aren't unfeeling objects whose only purpose in life is to wind up in human mouths. Herd is one of the best educational films I have ever seen on these most remarkable bovine beings. I hope it is shared widely to a diverse audience who can learn about the incredible rich and deep lives of future burgers, steaks, and veal. If Herd doesn't change peoples' meal plans, nothing will."
Marc Bekoff, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Author, The Emotional Lives of Animal
"In Herd, Michael Negroponte follows a year in the life of a herd of Belted Galloway cattle. From bucolic summer days to rainy and snowy days, he lets the cattle tell their story of individuality, relationships, and collaboration. Intercut with an eclectic selection of archival footage, the film allows us to ponder our complex relationship with this sentient being."
Daniel T. Blumstein, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Los Angeles
"Negroponte creates an unexpected intimacy with this herd of belted Galloway cattle. By following them closely for several seasons, he gifts us a glimpse of the intelligence and society of an animal too often demeaned."
Christopher Preston, Professor of Philosophy, University of Montana, Author, Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries that Change How We Think About Animals
"A captivating essay film and a masterpiece of creative non-fiction filmmaking."
Sabrina Artel, Trailer Talk, WJFF Radio
"Excellent documentary...An insightful and creative film that truly delves into the relationship humans have with animals, on both a physical and spiritual level."
Jesse Einhorn, New Jersey Stage
"The animals are sentient with a social hierarchy and a desire to support and protect other members of their herd...Negroponte's essay film is equal parts rumination, observation and meditation."
Kathryn Broughton, Berkshire Style
"Reflective...Allows the audience to meditate on their similarities with our fellow animals."
Remy Commisso, Chronogram
"By inviting audiences to slow down and reconnect with the natural world, Herd serves as a timely reminder of the interconnectedness of all living beings."
Natalia Zukerman, Lakeville Journal
"Cows are often portrayed as comparatively dumb and insensible livestock. This meditative, atmospheric film tells a different story: it allows us to (yes) ruminate on the complex life cycles and deep, proto-moral interactions that cows share with their young, with their herds, and with us."
Andrew Chignell, Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor, University Center for Human Values, Princeton University, Co-Editor, Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments About the Ethics of Eating
"Herd is a luminous revelation of the human-ness of cows and the cow-ness of humans. This film presents a subtle but profound moral challenge to the brutal and unthinking ways we treat these beautiful, loving, and interesting animals."
Roger S. Gottlieb, Dean's Professor of Philosophy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Author, Morality and the Environmental Crisis