‘Save Ralph’ is actually a stop motion mockumentary animated short film written and directed by Spencer Susser. The plot follows a particular interview with Ralph, a rabbit who details his life as he is used for animal testing and also the damages it has caused to his body. The 4-minute short film was released by Humane Society International.
It has been more than 100 years since animal testing became popular and although the subject is not new and many organizations fight every year for this practice to be banned globally, no campaign has had a global reception like the one now led by Humane Society International (HSI).
What ‘Save Ralph’ Is About
Speaking with Humane Society International for a documentary on his rabbit life as he works every day as a ‘tester’ for cosmetic products, Ralph tells the production crew how he is blind on one eye and is partially deaf. While preparing for work, Ralph explains with a sad tone how he does not necessarily care about his life, as he feels sacrificing his body to help humans is worth it. At a laboratory, Ralph’s rabbit friends beg for the production crew to free them from their trials, before Ralph is injected with an unknown chemical into his only working eye. Now completely blind, Ralph says his final remarks; without animal testing, he would be out in a field ‘as a normal rabbit’. As the video ends, Ralph gives a worried thumb-up towards the camera.
What Can Be Said About ‘Save Ralph’
The animated project Save Ralph was announced on March 24, 2021, ‘conceived as part of the #SaveRalph campaign’, in an effort from Humane Society International to ban animal testing around the world. That same day, a teaser video for the short film was released, with actor Taika Waititi sharing the official promotional poster for the film and writing on Twitter that the project was ]a cool thing that is coming soon. If you don’t watch it and love it then you hate animals and we can’t be friends anymore #SaveRalph’.
