Controversial Salmon Film 'Wild Summon' Sparks Viewer Vow: 'I'll Never Eat Fish Again
Wild Summon," a short film depicting the life cycle of a salmon, is prompting a significant number of its audience members to reconsider consuming seafood.
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"Animated Film 'Wild Summon' Evokes Emotional Response, Sparking Discussion on Seafood Consumption"
According to Yahoo News, "Wild Summon," a short film, utilizes computer animation to portray the journey of a salmon, aiming to elicit human empathy. Director Karni Arieli explained that the film presents the salmon as a warrior, navigating challenges like encounters with bears and fishing vessels before returning to spawn. The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where directors Karni Arieli and Saul Freed emphasized their intention to encourage thoughtful consideration rather than outright discouragement of seafood consumption.
Arieli, previously a pescatarian, shared her personal journey of removing fish from her diet and noted the film's impact on viewers, with many expressing they will no longer consume fish. Arieli emphasized the film's aim to evoke emotions rather than dictate responses.
"Wild Summon" joins a wave of recent documentaries critiquing the seafood industry, including "Seaspiracy," "My Octopus Teacher," and "Artifishal." The release of Netflix's "You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment" has further stirred debate, particularly within the seafood sector.
In response, the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) expressed disappointment, stating that the film lacked balanced information on salmon consumption and criticized its pro-vegan bias. GSI highlighted the need for a more nuanced understanding of dietary choices and emphasized the importance of scientific rigor in such discussions.