The Plantiful Podcast

TPP 053: A conversation with Richard Miron on moral grey areas, trust and the complexity of human-animal relationships


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Richard Miron’s ‘For the Birds’ is more than a documentary about animal rights, which was the initial angle that the filmmaker took when following Kathy’s story. Miron meets Kathy, who owns close to 200 birds, during his work with the Woodstock Sanctuary in 2011. Still in college, Miron’s advisor urges him to follow Kathy’s story, when originally he thought not much more of it. He wanted to make a movie about mammals, cute animals that people can relate to, in the spirit of more classic animal rights work.
When Miron starts following Kathy’s story, the emotional rollercoaster that unfolds in front of everyone, it becomes clear how complex and nuanced this story is. It’s the story of a woman who loves animals and grows her love from one little duckling to close to 200 ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys. When word gets out about an alleged animal hoarding situation, the Woodstock Sanctuary gets involved to take custody of the animals and place them into new homes. Eventually this leads to a court trial and unexpected events that give deep insights into Kathy’s life: her relationship with her husband Gary of over 20 years, her estrangement with her only human daughter and the complexity of this love for her birds.
Richard Miron masterfully depicts all the grey zones, the moral challenges, the broken trust,  the pain and the hope. He leaves us feeling empathy for all human and non-human animals involved in this story and creates a new conversation in the field of traditional animal rights.
We loved sitting down with Richard Miron and can’t wait for you to check out his documentary now available in English-speaking countries on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes, among other platforms. Find out more in the show notes below:
SHOW NOTES:
About the movie: 
http://forthebirdsdocumentary.com
https://www.instagram.com/forthebirdsdoc/
Pre-order on iTunes here
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfUY9lraOKU
Go Further and check out previous posts if you are new to the pod:
Check out our recent episode with Krisann Polito-Moller here about her vegan journey
TPP 022 with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, on beating his heart disease with a plant-based diet
TPP 024 with Registered Dietician Karin Gibson, a plant based lifestyle
TPP 026 with Dr Michelle McMacken, the science behind a plant based diet
Follow us on Instagram @theplantiful
And a special thanks to Caleb Jones, our audio engineer and latest addition to the pod – thank you @partcalebjones !
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The Plantiful PodcastBy Isabelle Steichen: Vegan Entrepreneur, Plant Based and Healthy Lifestyle