vegetarianism – Teekay Rezeau-Merah

An Updated Guide to Must-Watch Documentaries on Health, the Environment, and Animal Welfare

A few years ago, I compiled a list of powerful documentaries that opened eyes and sparked conversations about the connections between our diets, personal health, the planet, and animal welfare. Since then, new documentaries have emerged, offering fresh perspectives and deeper insights into these critical topics.

This updated list features 31 must-watch documentaries that will inspire you to rethink your choices, understand the broader impact of what’s on your plate, and consider the powerful role food plays in shaping our world.

Whether you’re passionate about health, sustainability, or ethics, these films are a compelling call to action, and a perfect way to kickstart meaningful change.

You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment (2024)
A twin-focused dietary experiment exploring the effects of different eating habits on health.
Notable Figures: None known.

Earthlings (2005)
A groundbreaking documentary examining humanity’s reliance on animals for food, clothing, and entertainment.
Notable Figures: Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.

Dominion (2018)
Exposing the darker side of animal agriculture through hidden-camera footage.
Notable Figures: Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Sia.

Forks Over Knives (2011)
A case for adopting a plant-based diet to combat chronic diseases.
Notable Figures: Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

What the Health (2017)
Investigating the link between diet, disease, and corporate influence in health organizations.
Notable Figures: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Revealing the environmental impact of animal agriculture.
Notable Figures: Directed by Kip Andersen.

Seaspiracy (2022)
A critique of the fishing industry’s devastating impact on marine ecosystems.
Notable Figures: Directed by Ali Tabrizi and Kip Andersen

Christpiracy (2024)
Examining the intersection of religion and ethical food choices.
Notable Figures: Directed by Kip Andersen and Kameron Waters.

The Game Changers (2018)
Debunking myths about plant-based diets and athletic performance.
Notable Figures: Produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I Could Never Go Vegan (2024)
Addressing common excuses and challenges against veganism.
Notable Figures: None known.

Vegucated (2011)
Following three people as they attempt to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Notable Figures: Directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson.

Milked (2021)
A deep dive into the dairy industry and its global implications.
Notable Figures: Created by Chris Huriwai.

Pignorant (2024)
Exploring the psychology behind ignoring the ethics of animal consumption.
Notable Figures: Created Joey Carbstrong.

Eating Animals (2018)
An exposé of industrial farming and its impact on food systems.
Notable Figures: Based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book, narrated by Natalie Portman

Carnage: Swallowing the Past (2017)
A satirical take on a future where veganism is the norm and meat-eating is taboo.
Notable Figures: Directed by Simon Amstell.

The Smell of Money (2022)
Investigating the environmental racism tied to industrial pig farming.
Notable Figures: Guess appearance: Cory Booker

The End of Meat (2017)
Imagining a world where meat consumption has ended.
Notable Figures: Directed by Marc Pierschel.

The Invisible Vegan (2019)
A focus on the often-overlooked contributions of Black communities to veganism.
Notable Figures: Directed by Jasmine Leyva, guest appearance by John Salley

Mission Blue (2014)
Chronicling Dr. Sylvia Earle’s mission to protect ocean habitats.
Notable Figures: Featuring Sylvia Earle.

Eating Our Way to Extinction
Exploring how our diets are destroying ecosystems and biodiversity.
Notable Figures: Narrated by Kate Winslet.

Eating You Alive (2018)
Highlighting the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet.
Notable Figures: Featuring Samuel L. Jackson, James Cameron.

H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters (2018)
Demonstrating the health, environmental, and ethical reasons for eating consciously.
Notable Figures: Guests; Jane Goodall, Vandana Shiva

Food Choices (2016)
A comprehensive look at how dietary choices impact health and the planet.
Notable Figures: Directed by Michal Siewierski.

Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)
Farmers recount their journeys from animal agriculture to veganism.
Notable Figures: Directed by Jenny Stein.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days (2009)
Following individuals reversing diabetes through a raw vegan diet.
Notable Figures: Featuring Gabriel Cousens.

The Cove (2009)
Unveiling the horrors of dolphin hunting in Japan.
Notable Figures: Featuring Ric O’Barry.

Speciesism: The Movie (2013)
Challenging societal norms about animal exploitation.
Notable Figures: Directed by Mark Devries.

73 Cows (2018)
The journey of a farmer transitioning from cattle farming to sustainable living.
Notable Figures: Directed by Alex Lockwood.

Live and Let Live (2013)
Examining ethical veganism and its implications.
Notable Figures: Directed by Marc Pierschel.

Land of Hope and Glory (2017)
An exposé on UK factory farming practices.
Notable Figures: Directed by Ed Winters.

Rowdy Girl (2023)
A former cattle rancher turns her farm into an animal sanctuary.
Notable Figures: Featuring Renee King-Sonnen.

Having lived in Ethiopia for 4+1 years, I’ve had the privilege to experience rastafarianism first hand.

But before we get into that, let’s break down what rastafarianism is, its roots and what we can all learn from some rasta practices.

Rastafarianism in a Nutshell

Rastafarianism is a spiritual movement that began in the 1930s by Marcus Garvey, in Jamaica. Rastafarians believe that God makes himself known through humanity.

The supreme man in rastafarianism is His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, crowned emperor of Ethiopia in 1930.

Many rastas believe this event to be the Second Coming of Christ who returned to redeem all Black people.

Rastafarianism combines Protestant Christianity (they read the bible selectively), mysticism, and a pan-African political consciousness.

Things I Love about Rastafarians

Rastas are pretty health conscious.

They consider their body to be a temple, based on the Old Testament teachings.

Rastas do not drink alcohol or eat food that is not nourishing to their body, which includes meat. Many follow a strict dietary law called “ital”, which states that all food must be completely natural and raw.

Meat is considered to be dead food so, according to Rastafarian belief, consuming it turns the body into a ‘cemetery’.

“Ital” is a vegetarian diet principally intended to improve health and energy. It is thought that being vegetarian is to be closer to the universal energy and life force and to avoid bringing death to God’s creatures.

The aim of healthy eating, using the freshest and most natural food possible, is to increase livity, or ‘life energy’, in Rasta terminology.

What is the real meaning of Zion

Rastas see Africa as a paradise on earth, and at the core of the movement is the belief that all people of the African diaspora should return to their homeland.

If you’ve been to Africa before, you know it’s the most beautiful continent on earth (with South America being close second).

Africa’s rich in culture, history, natural resources, animals, offers all types of climates and is the motherland of all humanity.

If there was such thing as a paradise on earth, Africa surely IS it.

Africa is often referred to as Zion, or Tsiyon in hebrew, which means “holy place” or “kingdom of heaven.”

What does it take to be a Rasta?

To be a Rasta, you have to be a true man with your words, a true man to the planet, a true man to the living, and a true man to everything that is good.

Rastas are generally very laid back, kind and humane people.

Having spent some of my best years in Ethiopia as a teen and later, I’ve had the pleasure to chat with lots of rastas about spirituality, pan-African political consciousness and black empowerment.

For rastas, the way you treat yourself, starting with your body and your mind, sets the tone for everything you do.

You can’t respect others if you don’t respect yourself, and you can’t live harmoniously if you’re not right in your body and in your head.

Rastas believe in the principle of balance lifestyle, which includes the wearing of long hair in its natural, uncombed state (dreadlocks), dressing in the colours of red, green, gold, and black, which respectively symbolize the life force of blood, herbs, royalty, and Africanness.

Religious practices

Religious rituals include prayer services, the smoking of ganja to achieve better “itation” (meditative state), and binghi (drum sessions).

Fun fact

The movement takes its name from the emperor’s pre-coronation name, Ras Tafari.