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The director of a 15-year-old animal rights documentary at the center of a baffling hostage situation in Ukraine has condemned the incident, saying, “We do not cause terror to awaken people to terror.”

Director Shaun Monson’s comments came after an armed man in Ukraine, identified as 44-year-old Maksim Krivosh, held 13 people hostage on Tuesday, demanding that the country’s president publicly endorse the Joaquin Phoenix-narrated “Earthlings,” among a number of demands issued ahead of a 12-hour standoff with police.

President Volodymyr Zelensky followed the terrorist’s request, posting a short video on Facebook that encouraged, “Everybody watch the 2005 documentary ‘Earthlings.'” He later deleted the post.

“‘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 2005 animal rights documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix called “Earthlings” in part helped Ukrainian officials defuse a tense hostage situation.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that a 12-hour hostage situation ended after a gunman demanded, among other things, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky endorse the documentary, which he did in a now-deleted post to his Facebook.

“Everybody watch the 2005 film ‘Earthlings,'” Zelensky said in a post to his Facebook.

The documentary, directed by Shaun Monson and narrated by Phoenix, uses hidden camera footage that captures animals suffering and being abused for scientific research or as part of the agricultural industry.

Also Read: Neon Acquires Animal Documentary 'Gunda' Exec Produced by Joaquin Phoenix

The gunman held 13 hostages while armed with automatic weapons and explosives, according to the Times. None of the hostages were physically harmed.

After previously releasing three hostages, the Times says the gunman released the remaining...

A nearly 12-hour standoff in Ukraine on Tuesday finally ended after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, bowed to a number of demands from alleged hostage-taker Maksim Krivosh. Among them: the public recommendation and endorsement of the 2005 documentary “Earthlings,” directed by Shaun Monson and narrated by Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix. The New York Times reports that Zelensky took to his Facebook page to share a plaintive message (since deleted): “Everybody watch the 2005 film ‘Earthlings.”

The ordeal began when Krivosh, a 44-year-old former convict who “used the nickname Maksim the Bad to post a manifesto and demands on Twitter,” took 13 people on a bus hostage “while armed with an automatic weapon and explosives.” The ordeal began on Tuesday morning, when Krivosh seized the bus and then barricaded himself and his hostages inside it in the city of Lutsk.

None of the hostages was injured during the ordeal, though bullet holes riddled the bus’ windows.

Ukraine recently witnessed a bizarre hostage situation when an armed gunman boarded a bus and kept the passengers as hostages over a 12-hour standoff with the police. One of the demands made by the gunman to the President of the country Volodymyr Zelenskiy was for the latter to promote an animal rights documentary narrated by Hollywood actor Joaquin Phoenix, called Earthlings.

The hostage-taker has been identified as 44-year-old Maksym Kryvosh, an animal rights activist with a criminal record for gun possession. Kryvosh boarded the bus armed with guns as well as a grenade and kept thirteen people hostage on the bus until the standoff was resolved. The Ukrainian President had a six-second clip promotion for Earthlings posted on the presidential Facebook page, which was subsequently deleted.

Shortly afterward, Kryvosh walked out of the bus and surrendered himself to the police. Officials said he had previously spent around 10 years in prison...

The Animals Asia: Kindness in Action event was an intimate gathering held at NeueHouse Hollywood on March 5, 2020 with cocktails, vegan hors d’oeuvres and a short program from Founder and CEO of the cause, Jill Robinson.

Kristin Bauer, Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, Michelle Forbes and Tara Buck attend Animals Asia: Kindness in Action

Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Animals Asia

The event was supported by NeueHouse and Miomojo.

Attendees included Kristin Bauer, Tara Buck, Sophia Del Pizzo, Michelle Forbes, Ali MacGraw, Jesse Metcalfe, Shaun Monson, Lesley Nicol, Jimmi Simpson, Diane Warren (Academy Award-Nominated Songwriter), among others.

Animals Asia is devoted to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. They promote compassion and respect for all animals and work to bring about long-term change.

Founded in 1998, the Animals Asia team has been rescuing bears since 1994. They operate award-winning bear rescue sanctuaries in China and Vietnam,...

Less than 48 hours after Joaquin Phoenix hoisted the first Oscar of his career the Joker star was cradling a newborn calf that he rescued from a Los Angles slaughterhouse.

A just-released video from Farm Sanctuary shows the somber 45-year-old star liberating both the calf and her mother from a Pico Rivera slaughterhouse while visiting the facility with his fiancee, Rooney Mara, and a delegation of the Los Angles Animal Save activist group.

The visit and the short film punctuated a triumphant awards season for Phoenix that saw him sweep all of Hollywood top trophies for his on-screen metamorphosis in the billion-dollar hit Joker. Phoenix used much of his microphone time along the way to promote the vegan lifestyle and to frame animal agriculture as an environmental plight.

The video, shot by Shaun Monson, shows the Walk the Line and Gladiator star escorting the cow and her calf to a facility used by Farm Sanctuary.

Amazon and Extinction Rebellion have made a laudable short about the most urgent possible subject … but it makes no sense

Guardians of Life is a three-minute film from the director and environmental activist Shaun Monson, produced in collaboration with Extinction Rebellion and Amazon Watch and starring the man of the moment: Joaquin Phoenix.

It delivers a tiny metaphorical microdrama to raise consciousness about the climate emergency. The message is: don’t give up, it’s not too late, the cause could not be better. In fact, you could argue that any film or media event that is not about the climate emergency is a waste of valuable time. And yet, bafflingly, the metaphor at the heart of this film is hackneyed and nonsensical. On its own figurative and dramatic terms, it doesn’t work. Those squeamish about spoilers had better look away now.

“Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix has linked with environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion and non-profit organization Amazon Watch for a short film sounding the alarm around deforestation and global wildfires.

“Guardians of Life,” which Variety reveals exclusively above, also stars Rosario Dawson, Matthew Modine, Oona Chaplin, Q’orianka Kilcher and musician Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes – all of whom play a medical team racing to save an unseen patient dying of heart failure on the operating table.

Describing the two-minute film as a call to action, Phoenix said: “I did it to raise awareness about the meat and dairy industry’s effect on climate change. The fact is we are clear cutting and burning rainforests and seeing the negative effects of those actions worldwide.

“People don’t realize there’s still time, but only if we act now and make sweeping changes to our consumption. We can’t wait for governments...

There is no punch line to Joaquin Phoenix's dedication to animal rights — which is one reason the Joker star has been named PETA’s 2019 Person of the Year.

A vegan since the age of 3, when he saw a fish caught and killed, Phoenix joins past winners including Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, and Anjelica Huston.

In just the last year, Phoenix appeared on PETA's “We Are All Animals” billboards in New York’s Times Square and on Sunset Boulevard, joined California lawmakers to announce legislation banning traveling wild-animal circuses, and cradled a dead chicken as he led a memorial service at a National Animal Rights Day March. He’s the executive producer of The Animal People, a documentary that follows animal rights activists who were suppressed by powerful industry interests and comforted pigs with a drink of water at their last stop before entering a Los Angeles slaughterhouse. “I don...

Joaquin Phoenix has been named PETA’s 2019 Person of the Year, the animal rights organization announced on Monday.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recognized the “Joker” star for being a vegan since he was three and for appearing on the organization’s “We Are All Animals” billboards in Times Square in New York City and on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.

Past recipients of the award have been Oprah Winfrey, Anjelica Huston and Pope Francis.

Also Read: Bradley Cooper's Dog Helps Win Him Win PETA's 'Oscat' Award for 'A Star is Born'

“Joaquin Phoenix never misses an opportunity to turn the spotlight away from himself and onto animals’ plight and to set a great example of walking the vegan walk,” PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement. “PETA is proud to kick off awards season by honoring his dedication to showing everyone that...

Joaquin Phoenix hit the red carpet with his family on Wednesday at PETA's 35th Anniversary Party at the Hollywood Palladium in La. The actor flashed a huge grin while posing for photos on the red carpet with his three sisters, Rain, Liberty, and Summer, and mom Arlyn. Once inside the event, the Phoenixes took the stage to honor Joaquin's late brother, River, who passed away from a drug overdose in 1993. After speaking about River's dedication to animal rights, they presented filmmaker Shaun Monson with the River Phoenix Humanitarian Award. Keep reading to see more of their touching outing, then check out this other adorable celebrity family.

Featuring an unprecedented cast of 100 celebrity narrators, the timely documentary Unity will be distributed by SpectiCast in select theatres worldwide beginning August 12.

Written and directed by Shaun Monson (Earthlings), produced by Melissa Danis and Monson, the film explores the interconnectivity of all life on Earth and our responsibility to do better. A production of Monson’s Nation Earth, Unity will is expected to premiere on 1000-1200+ screens across the globe. SpectiCast has partnered with Fathom Events for the domestic release on select U.S. screens. Tickets and more information including participating theatre locations and global distribution partners coming soon.

Seven years in the making, Unity explores humanity’s impact on the world and our opportunity for transformation. Presented in chapters, Unity takes an in-depth look at what it means to be human, exploring themes of love, tragedy and, ultimately, hope. Coupled with stunning cinematography, Unity is a singular and unforgettable cinematic experience.