73 Cows: This 15-min film about the dark reality of beef farming will turn you vegan

Vegan documentaries are trending at the moment. With major streaming platforms like Netflix showing 2014’s ‘Cowspiracy’ and most recently releasing ‘The Game Changers’, many are asking themselves, can a vegan documentary convince me to quit meat?

Amidst the noise, one emerging director has cut through with a film so concise you can watch it in your lunch break.

Alex Lockwood’s short film, 73 cows, is a cinematic masterpiece about the first farmer in the UK to trade beef farming for sustainable organic vegan farming. He shot with a team of just four, with no budget, and has arguably produced one of the most poignant films on the topic in years.

Just 15 minutes long, 73 Cows explores farmer Jay Wilde’s journey from beef to vegan farmer, giving up his entire herd of cattle in the process. Lockwood captures the cold, misty feel of the farm, echoed in Jay’s deep-seated struggle at having to slaughter animals he has grown to love.

“I never set out for it to be an award-winning film,” Lockwood tells me genuinely. “I only entered 73 Cows the night before the BAFTA deadline when a friend prompted me to. I was blown away when I won.”

Lockwood’s humble approach to the project was almost what moved me most. As a film maker, with a focus on issues of ethics, he’s always looking for stories to tell. But the idea for 73 cows merely stumbled across his path, when his wife showed him an article about Jay Wilde in the newspaper.

It was as simple as sending a swift Facebook message, he tells me, before Lockwood was at the farm himself, instantly bonding with Jay and his wife Katya.

As soon as he met Jay in person, Lockwood says he could feel the excitement brewing, as it was clear the farmer had such a strong message to convey. Having wrestled