From time to time, art can change behavior. More than a dozen years ago, I stopped eating red meat after seeing Sue Coe’s collection of journalistic drawings and prints, collected in Dead Meat, that exposed conditions in slaughterhouses around the world. Just the other day, I became convinced that a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York’s Central Park was necessary to curtail unsafe and inhumane treatment. The impetus behind my change of mind was a shockingly vivid documentary titled Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition written, directed, edited, and produced by Donny Moss.
Through original footage taken with hidden cameras as well as interviews withcarriage drivers, veterinarians, accident witnesses, animal rightsactivists, politicians, tourists, residents, and people who have rescued NYC carriage horses from slaughter, this startling, at times difficult to watch investigation exposes the darkest side of this popular tourist attraction.
Watch the trailer here.