Dominion

The documentary looks inside animal agriculture. Pig farms, poultry sheds, dairy, egg production, fishing and slaughterhouses are shown in turn. The footage was taken with drones, hidden cameras and handheld cameras; most of it without permission. The narrative comments so little as to barely comment; narrating voices read short sections in between and the rest is image. The film also shows practices that are legally permitted; its argument is that these are the standard rather than the exception. Chris Delforce directs. Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Sia and Sadie Sink are among the narrators. It is an Australian production. It was filmed at facilities in Australia and focuses on practices that are lawful under that country's regulation. The director faced legal proceedings over the filming; the cases about entry and recording without permission caused argument. The film was published free online and distributed that way. The matter it treats is seeing; rather than opening a debate the documentary puts the record forward. The same team had made a similar documentary earlier and this is counted its continuation. It gives no room to the opposing view; industry representatives do not speak. Its limit is the watching; most of the footage is hard to bear and the narrative lightens nowhere. Who it is for: anyone curious about the argument over animal rights and food production. Who it is not for: it is extremely uncomfortable, one directional, and unsuitable for most viewers.