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Paris – Summarizing the impact of the fashion industry on animal welfare in one film is a lofty ambition, but director Rebecca Cappelli attempts to do just that with her documentary “Slay.”
The film, which premiered in Paris last week, shows the impact of the fur trade – aka hides and furs – in a wide-ranging investigation into animal welfare, workers’ rights and the environmental damage it causes. They offer chains for fashion and luxury items such as handbags, shoes and accessories.
“We all know that for most luxury brands, a lot of their profits come from leather, especially leather, and it’s true when we say that,” she says. But this is not an anti-fashion film. It’s not about a specific brand. “It is to find a solution,” he said.
The film takes her to the world. In Brazil, she explored the deforestation that is being done to make cattle for their hides; And in Italy, she showed how the leather is cleaned and painted. In China, she explores the industrial fur industry as well as the illegal trade in endangered species, and highlights the unregulated fishing industry in the US, among other touch points.
The title “Slay” is a play on the word’s etymology as well as the dark origins of its original meaning. The film was a self-funded effort that took Cappelli three and a half years to make. Spanning seven countries, it takes an in-depth look at the impact of the fur, leather and fur industries on animals, the planet and people.
And while sustainability may be a buzzword used by brands in their marketing, the film shows that the issues are interconnected in ways that are often revealed. Cappelli tries to demystify those relationships.
“When it comes to sustainability and ethical fashion, there is a blind spot – we don’t talk about the animals used in fashion, and we don’t talk about the impact of using animals on the planet and the people who work in the supply chain or live in the communities affected by these industries,” she says.
Cappelli says very few brands have animal welfare policies, and a 2020 report by the charity For Paws found that 21 percent of brands found ingredients derived from animals. The film makes the argument that sustainable fashion must incorporate animal ethics as animals are the source of many of the fashion and luxury goods industry’s most profitable products.
Citing UN numbers, the film states that one leather bag is equivalent to more than 10,000 square feet of cleared land, and that 80 percent of Amazon deforestation is for cattle grazing. She debunks the myth that skin is a product of the food industry; And this is usually not the most luxurious lamb and calf skins.
Since cows are often bought, sold and moved around, their hides cover the supply chain before they are exported.
“The conclusion we came to because of the lack of follow-up Working on my own and working with a number of non-profit organizations, it’s impossible to ensure that this leather doesn’t come from bare earth,” she said.
Eighty percent of exports go to manufacturing, and the second largest market is Italy. Cappelli follows the path to the leather factories, which are then sold to fashion brands for bags and shoes. At the undercover shows, tannery owners will see many common high-street and high-end brands that advertise their sustainable credentials but buy from unknown sources.
These are some of the first scenes that address the fashion industry’s supply chain issues before moving on to the illegal animal trade and dog fur farming in China and fox and raccoon trapping in some scenes in the US. Place the influence – and brutality – in his heart.
The film focuses on the health implications of chemicals in and around tanneries, particularly in India and Italy, and explores the treatment of migrant workers who often work at facilities in Italy.
“In my view, it’s about connecting stories, sharing facts and information that aren’t available to the general public, and also telling stories and connecting with individuals. That individual could be an animal or that individual could be a worker in a tannery in Italy or a tannery in India,” she said of the different perspectives of the film. It’s more about making the invisible visible today so that we can start a discussion and conversation in the industry.
One touch point is that she goes from an animal-loving child to a grown-up fashionista who wears fur clothes without making any connections. Ultimately, consumers don’t see the impact of materials when animals are neglected and destroyed, she argues.
“We need to look at it. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but I believe we need to be able to have uncomfortable conversations to move forward and improve. We need to sit with this data, the science, the information, but also our feelings about it,” she said.
The documentary features scenes of him visiting fur traders. Europe is not off the hook. Although many countries have banned wool farming, Cappelli visits the mink farms in Poland, where it still happens and investigates how the fur is sold in the European market.
“My aim with the film is to make a cultural shift to understand that skins are not ‘materials’ – they are animal skins,” she says.
The film examines the production of wool, and the impact of industrial farming in Australia and New Zealand, including being a major source of greenhouse gas emissions for those countries, even though it is often considered a sustainable fabric.
“Slay” covers exploring alternative materials, including corn- and sugarcane-based polymers, into new textiles, including ecopel faux fur.
It is a big picture view of the very detailed issues that are both environmental and ethical in the fashion industry. The film, which is now being released on the Waterbear Documentary platform, is aimed not only at addressing the industry but also at consumers.
“We are mainly talking about huge issues for countries, and we have to be realistic about what is possible in the short term,” Cappelli said. “We show the truth without blaming anyone and without judging anyone, but these are problems [in our industry] And let’s see it together.
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