Other speakers include frontline activists, NGOs, a former livestock vet and more. Each brings a unique perspective to the issue.

“Many of us say we are animal lovers; very few of us actively work to help animals who are suffering. We wanted to discover what creates someone for whom advocacy becomes a life calling,” explains The Empathy Project founder and executive producer Bel Jacobs, who also speaks in the film. “Are they more compassionate - or have they seen things that have become unignorable? What we heard was the latter: heartfelt stories of empathy, outrage and activism. It showed that caring deeply for other species enough to speak out for them is not niche or emotional; it’s a humane response once we are confronted with what animals endure every day.”

"Many films approach animal advocacy by shocking audiences with the very real violence our systems do to animals,” says director Tristan Copley-Smith. “With this film, we wanted to take a different approach: to try and understand the internal emotional experience that has transformed our subjects into making animal justice such a central part of their lives.

“As a filmmaker and anthropologist, I found the stories of our subject deeply meaningful and inspiring - they have impacted my own interactions with animals in my life,” he continues. “I look forward to seeing if they have a similar impact on our audiences."

In the film, speakers discuss what empathy for other species means and how it came into their lives. They reveal stories of personal change and the courage required for activism, as well as sharing what continues to inspire them.

From climate and ecological protection to animal rights to social justice,  speakers also make the case for considering a world in which all animals are treated with respect. 

Finally, the film asks, ‘What can we, as individuals and communities, do to reduce animal suffering on the planet today?’

About The Empathy Project:

The Empathy Project is a cultural project addressing the urgent need to reframe human relationships with animals, for the benefit of all. The project was developed in response to the depth and scale of animal suffering today and to the belief that, where animals suffer and are exploited, inevitably, humans suffer and are exploited, too.

One to two hundred billion animals die each year in  animal agriculture; billions more die in rituals and hunting, for fashion or beauty, in individual acts of cruelty and abandonment. Across film, workshops and an educational programme (due 2026), without judgement and with consideration for all views, the Empathy Project works to alert people to the actions required to create a kinder future for all.

Without understanding the extent of suffering and its causes, all responses to the multiple emergencies will be partial. As Jane Goodall said: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved”. 

The Empathy Project film hopes to contribute to that culture of understanding and caring.

About Tristan Copley Smith. 

Tristan Copley Smith is a filmmaker, ethnographer, and sustainability strategist specialising in climate and social innovation. He has produced documentaries, journalism and research across biodiversity, carbon markets, and regenerative science, helping organisations understand complex systems and design narratives that create change. He holds a Master’s in Anthropology of Global Futures and Sustainability from SOAS, and is the co-founder of ventures including OSBeehives and Possible Studio. He has taught climate communications in the UK, Spain and US, published work in the Guardian and Huffpost, is an MIT Innovator Under 35. Tristan is passionate about building a brighter planetary future and crafting narratives to shift systems. 

Speaker Biographies

• Ruth Andrade is environmental partner and spokesperson for LUSH. 

• Molly Elsdon is a Campaigner at PETA UK and Yoga Teacher

• Alexis Gauthier is former chef patron of the Michelin-starred Roussillon in Pimlico and chef of of London's Gauthier Soho

• Tom Harris is Founder and Director of Project Phoenix. He also helped coordinate the international Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign.

• Laila Kassim is a Founder and Director of Project Phoenix,. She is also a Co-Founder and former Director of Animal Think Tank.

• Dan Richardson is an actor, filmmaker and patron for the Born Free Foundation, amongst others. He is also co-director, producer and presenter of the recently released, highly acclaimed plant-based documentary, Food For Thought. 

• Billy Thompson is founder of the Retreat Farmed Animal Sanctuary in High Halden, Kent, England. 

• Jane Tredgett is a campaigner for Scrap Factory Farming campaigner and founder of Humane Being - helping people live sustainably & kindly. She is a former Vice Chair of the RSPCA Board.

• Dr. Molly Vasanthakumar is a veterinarian, and the daughter of a former sheep farmer. She is currently program manager of Stock Free Farming.

• Sivalingam Vasanthakumar (Kumar) is a Somerset farmer and chef, raised on a dairy farm in Sri Lanka before studying sustainable agriculture in the UK. 

• Cleve West is an award-winning landscape designer based in Hampton Wick. He began designing in 1990 and has won six RHS gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show

Crew

• Tristan Copley Smith, Director, Producer, Editor

• Bel Jacobs, Subject & Executive Producer

• Luke Jarmey, Director of Photography & Colour Grader

• Emmanuel Correani, Sound Recordist

• Nadia Chelache, Production Assistant

• Fergal O'Dwyer, Music Composer

• Daniele Zazza, Sound Design

Notes to editors: 

1. For further information and press interviews, please contact: Bel Jacobs at bel@theempathyproject.co.uk, karl@cholla.agency or marianne@cholla.agency

2. The Empathy Project is a cultural project addressing the urgent need to reframe human relationships with animals, towards ways that benefit all.  To find out more and subscribe, visit https://www.theempathyproject.co.uk. Follow on Instagram here. 

3. Distribution: from January 2026, The film will be available as a resource with worksheets for interested parties and advocacy groups. 

4. Click here for link to Electronic Press Folder, with behind-the-scenes images and head shots of all speakers and director.

References:

1. Patrick Barkham, ‘Human connection to nature has declined 60% in 200 years, study finds’ The Guardian (London, 9 August 2025) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/09/human-connection-to-nature-has-declined-60-in-200-years-study-finds