‘Earthlings’ director decries Ukrainian hostage-taker’s doc demand

US film director Shaun Monson has slammed a gunman who took Ukrainian bus passengers hostage to promote Monson’s 2005 animal rights documentary ‘Earthlings’.

He criticized the hostage-taker, saying “We do not cause terror to awaken people to terror.”

An armed man identified as 44-year-old former convict Maksim Krivosh, seized a bus in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk on Tuesday and held 13 people hostage, demanding that the country’s president publicly endorse ‘Earthlings’, among other demands.

The hostages were freed after President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a short video on Facebook recommending the documentary. He later deleted the post.

The 12-hour standoff ended with police detaining the armed man.

“‘Earthlings’ does not endorse or condone acts of terror, as its message is one of compassion for all beings. The film’s content is the ongoing global slaughter of billions of defenseless animals, which is not only detrimental to human health but a primary cause of climate change,” said Monson in a statement.

“However, we do not cause terror to awaken people to terror. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this ordeal, to their families, as well as the authorities who ensured that no lives were lost. May we move forward with non-violence toward all,” he added.

Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, ‘Earthlings’ “chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit,” according to a synopsis for the documentary.

SQ/MG