Heath Ledger Directed Video For Modest Mouse with Anti-Whaling Message

One of H. Ledger's last acts on this world was directing this video ...

The description:

A music video co-directed by Heath Ledger for the band Modest Mouse was released today, and the animated short aims to raise awareness of commercial whaling, a message that the late actor took seriously. I think it’s wonderful that Ledger continues to make a difference in the world after his unfortunate death, beyond the terrific film performances he left behind. The beautiful and disturbing video features a shocking role reversal of hunter and hunted, and will hopefully encourage people to learn more about the atrocities of the whaling industry and inspire them to help protect ocean wildlife. Ledger had plans to co-direct a whaling documentary as well, which we will sadly never get to see.

The video for “King Rat”, which was unfinished at the time of Ledger’s death, was co-created with Los Angeles art collective/production company The Masses, and debuted on MySpace today. Proceeds from the iTunes downloads of the video in the first month of release will go towards The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization committed to ending the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans. You may already be familiar with the groups direct-action techniques, and their recent endorsement of The Cove. Check out the video, download it from iTunes, and find out how you can help protect marine wildlife by using the action link below. (Warning: the video contains graphic images)

www.takepart.com...



Official video link in case youtube takes it down: www.wearethemasses.com...

Related thread: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Edit to add: "Making of" link: www.wearethemasses.com...

[edit on 6 Aug 2009 by schrodingers dog]

I dont see why i should be against whaling. Unless they keep the whale population from getting out of control, it leads to whales eating up all the small fish we also hunt for. (whales can eat up to 600 million tons of food each year, and humans eat only 150 million) Let them hunt

Originally posted by Daniem
I dont see why i should be against whaling. Unless they keep the whale population from getting out of control, it leads to whales eating up all the small fish we also hunt for. (whales can eat up to 600 million tons of food each year, and humans eat only 150 million) Let them hunt

Because they are killing endangered species! Plus you have to remember whales live a long time, are slow growers and reproduce in small numbers.

reply to post by DaMod


Total balony.. whale polulations have increased.

Its not legal to hunt for endangered species... are you telling me whale meat in stores are illegal?

If its not endangered then they can hunt it, if endangered you should NOT.

Originally posted by Daniem
I dont see why i should be against whaling. Unless they keep the whale population from getting out of control, it leads to whales eating up all the small fish we also hunt for. (whales can eat up to 600 million tons of food each year, and humans eat only 150 million) Let them hunt

Thats the most ludicrous thing i have read, straight from the Japanese propaghanda machine. Whale numbers are extremely low at this time compared with the past. There were far more fish in the sea when whales existed in higher numbers throughout history, so by the theory you stated with the deminished whale population we see currently there should be an explosion of fish numbers not a decrease. People have decimated the wild stocks of fish not the whales.
Whale hunting is illegal, the only reason they hunt the whales is for 'scientific purposes' and the international whaling commision states that no part of the whale is to go to waste. Its a loophole, and if the Japanese just hunted for food they would be breaking the law. You have to look at it as scientific research because they are not hunting them for food.
Both Whales and fish were doing fine until man came along.

And of course it is illegal to hunt endangered species.



[edit on 8-8-2009 by pazcat]

Originally posted by Daniem
I dont see why i should be against whaling. Unless they keep the whale population from getting out of control, it leads to whales eating up all the small fish we also hunt for. (whales can eat up to 600 million tons of food each year, and humans eat only 150 million) Let them hunt

I certainly don't have time to find the links right now but rest assurred I'll return to this thread.

Whales, along with Dolphins and Porpoises, are considered to be sentient minds. Meaning they think and can reason. I'm not saying they are on level with humans but they can think (Dolphins are close, I believe, to having their language classified officially).

I don't support whaling in any way shape or form.

Okay...here is a quick link you should read...

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by pazcat

Whale hunting is illegal

No its not (?).. we bought some meat just a while ago. They sell it in normal STORES. The whale hunting season around here start in may, and there is nothing illegal about it... the government even sets the quota of the whalers max catch.

No we cant just let the whale population out of control either.. to think it wont have consequences is foolish. It not like we here in norway desperatly need whale meat or anything, we are just about the richest country there is.. so i'll let them keep the whales under control if they think we should.

reply to post by MemoryShock

Okay...here is a quick link you should read...

Are you implying that if a species is smart they shouldnt be eaten? Should we eat dumber creatures then? Cause my cat is pretty dumb, but im not gonna eat cats. Maybe if you could elaborate.

If whales were not endangered i would have no problem with a strict amount allowed to be killed.But they are endangered so we should protect them in every way we can until their population is flourishing again.

Ahh Norway, i thought you were from Japan my bad. Thats completely different, Norway only hunts Minke whales and they are non endangered. Still not entirely sure i agree with it but i know less about that situation than the Japanese one.
Hunting endangered species is illegal but sadly nobody can enforce that.
No matter what you say though the 'keeping whale numbers under control' thing is not the best argument, as i said before both whale and fish were doing fine until man came along.

[edit on 16-8-2009 by pazcat]

reply to post by pazcat


Yes, they are not endangered.. i would be against it then.. espessially if their populations were declining.

And yes the argument "we should kill whales, so there's more fish left for us to kill" does sound weird.. but thats just how things are. We eat what we can.

As for japan, im not realy familiar with what they do, but as long as they dont drive species extinct, and keep it legal.. im not against it. (even though i dont exactly go out of my way to support anyone killing animals. I am a meat eater however.