From «Cowspiracy» to «Seaspiracy»: Discursive Strategies in Contemporary Vegan Advocacy Documentaries

Abstract

Guided by the qualitative approach of film analysis, this article examines the discursive strategies used in the films Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret and Seaspiracy, while identifying contrasts with the rhetoric of other pro-vegan and environmentalist documentaries. The analysis of both films together serves to highlight: a) the prominence they give to environmentalist reasons for veganism; b) their different way of portraying violence against animals; c) their use of a detective plotline to articulate the narrative; d) their emotional use of first-person narration; and e) the emphasis they place on global responsibility for the environmental impact of animal-based food production and their proposal of specific, feasible solutions to reverse the situation. The study finds that Cowspiracy and Seaspiracy stand as evidence of the vegan advocacy documentary’s contributions to the environmentalist non-fiction genre to which it belongs, while highlighting the strategies used in both films (avoiding audience revulsion and promoting positive feelings; integrating fictional elements and fostering identification in order to seduce the audience; appealing to commitment and conveying proactive messages rather than a sense of helplessness) that enable the cognitive and affective dimensions to feed into each other for the purpose of persuading viewers and promoting individual and social change.