Emma Thompson Takes on Climate Activist Role in Short Vegan Film

The short satire film “Extinction” stars Emma Thompson and was based on last year’s London protests by the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion. It was due to these protests that the UK finally became the first country in the world to declare a climate emergency.

Dame Emma Thompson stars in the comedic film as an environmentalist and member of Extinction Rebellion. The British actress is a longtime environmental activist and serves as a member of Greenpeace and an ambassador for the Galapagos Conservation Trust. The team behind the film approached Thompson with the hopes of her playing a character who shares her same values.

The film started production in late 2018 and had grabbed footage from the actual protests with Thompson in April 2019. The 12-minute long film showcases a group of protestors going to meet with an environmental minister by the name of Lord Grant.

Director Jack Cooper Simpson wanted to affirm and amplify the values behind climate justice with the story of a group voicing their beliefs. The film was made to make audiences laugh, unite people, and send a message to the industry to prevent those ignoring key environmental issues. The cowriter, Sam Haygarth, hopes that the messages behind the film don’t get lost with all other news happening and yearns to push the UK’s government into implementing changes soon.

Life Imitating Art

In a recent Q&A, Simpson mentioned the timeline of the film and how things worked out perfectly. “Last year we had this weird situation with life imitating art imitating life. It was a funny filter to look through. The film is marking such an important anniversary.”

According to Simpson, all of the outfits on the set were cruelty-free and sustainably made. Emma Thompson made her own costume and the meals provided for the cast and crew were all vegan.

You can watch the movie online for free here.