Changemakers: Behind the Scenes of Common Enemy with José Elias

From food travel videos that double as your new bucket lists, to sharp parodies of company advertisements, José's work hones in on the voices of a place or issue, then elevates them into storytellers. He harmonizes his extensive background as an animal advocate, community organizer, and editor/videographer/drone operator to effectively communicate, and captivate.

Now he shares his take on making the documentary Common Enemy, and what he hopes you take from watching it.

There are so many poignant anecdotes throughout the film, and the intimacy of their answers to your questions sustained the emotional throughline of contending with factory farming. Why do you think these community members chose to share their stories with you?

I'm grateful to the subjects of our film for being so vulnerable with us. While the fight continues in Oklahoma against factory farming, many of the folks we interviewed were opening old wounds to share. And I believe the reason they were so willing to do so was because they understand, more than anyone, the true cost and broken promises that these farms bring. They want people to know that this isn't just limited to Oklahoma—that this industry has, and will continue to, spread around the country.

Is there an eyewitness account or story about animals you wish you could have included, or one in the film that stays with you?

Poppy's story (the pig we meet at the sanctuary in the film). Her journey really stuck with me. She leapt from a transport truck on her way to the slaughterhouse and was struck by an oncoming vehicle that broke her leg, but was ultimately brought to Oliver and Friends Farm Animal Sanctuary to recuperate and live out the rest of her life. Having worked in the animal welfare space for the past decade, you sometimes hear stories of animals destined for slaughter finding ways to escape their fate; however, you don't often get to meet them face to face.

In the documentary, sanctuary co-owner Jennie Hays recalls Poppy's story, and mentions that it's usually some sort of injury or illness that is these animals’ ticket to freedom. And that stayed with me, that animals in these circumstances will sometimes put themselves in harm's way, risking their lives, to avoid a more horrific and torturous end. That, compounded with former hog farm employee Deacon Jones' stories of how the pigs were treated on the farm he was working at, drove the point that most animals trapped in this system aren't so lucky. Meeting Poppy was incredibly special.

Given the secrecy and power of industrial animal agriculture (the common enemy), were there instances of resistance along the way?

We (the film crew) didn't feel resistance personally; however, many of the folks from Oklahoma close to these issues warned us to be careful, because this industry really does have a stranglehold on the state. And we were as cautious as we could be when filming around the farms and making sure our subjects felt safe to speak. Not because what we were doing was illegal, but because of the power that industrial farming holds, folks were hesitant. I mean, hearing former pig rancher Suzette Hatfield speak about her experience going up against this Goliath, and having death threats just for speaking up is incredibly intimidating—and she was a farmer herself! Having the people we interviewed share their stories is an act of resistance in itself to the industry; I can't express how much I appreciate them.

This is a documentary about protecting animals, people, and the land—or, in short, our world. What do you hope this film will do for these movements?

My hope is that this film shows folks that there is an overlap with factory farming and other movements. Whether that be environmental justice, worker justice, Indigenous sovereignty, animal welfare and rights, these movements are all interconnected with a common enemy—industrial animal agriculture; it touches everyone.

And again, having worked in the animal welfare/rights movement for so long, I know we can get tunnel vision in our pursuit for animal liberation and treat our movement as a single issue (that we can only focus on animals), but we have the capacity to care about more than one cause. Our cause is your cause, and vice versa. I hope that our film helps folks come to this realization that we are not enemies and have a shared goal towards a better future for all of us, human and nonhuman.

In addition to producing the film, you took on other roles as well (sound, camera operator, drone operator). How did these perspectives affect or change the way you told the story?

Having worked on many aspects in this production, it made me feel even more attached to it. I found the narratives of our subjects to be so powerful. Having had the privilege to engage with them both before and after filming, it was crucial for us to convey the personal connection we experienced directly to our audience. Ensuring clear audio during filming, and capturing footage thoughtfully to effectively portray their stories were our priorities.

I wanted to make sure that we did right by the folks we interviewed. We could not have done this without them, so making sure we did them justice was important for me, and if I may speak for my colleagues, it was important for them as well.

For people looking to reduce their carbon footprint, ease the suffering of individuals, or just try to make the world safer and easier to live in—how can we do our part?

First, reducing your animal product consumption and doing so at a pace that is sustainable for you is key. There are so many great animal product alternatives and plant-based cooking blogs out there that can help you along your journey (including these free cookbooks).

Secondly, get active. Our Fast Action Network is a great way to take easy digital actions for animals from the comfort of your own home, and there are plenty of ways to get involved by signing up with us and getting paired with one of our Field Organizers. They can help steer you in the right direction and link you up with locals in your area to get active for animals.

Lastly, and certainly not least, learn about other movements and how they relate to what matters most to you. There are plenty of anti-factory farming orgs doing intersectional work like Food Empowerment Project and Apex Advocacy. We need to continue to lift each other up if we want a kinder world. We are not free until we all are.