Taika Waititi voices Ralph the rabbit who works as a tester for cosmetics. Photo / The Humane Society of the United States
Taika Waititi voices Ralph the rabbit who works as a tester for cosmetics. Photo / The Humane Society of the United States
Leave it to Taika Waititi and Ricky Gervais to make viewers cry, even with humour.
The Māori filmmaker stars in a new campaign for The Humane Society of the United States and the short film was released this week. Comedian and actor Ricky Gervais voices the director of the short.
Waititi plays Ralph the bunny in the mockumentary-style stop-motion film. His character aims to raise awareness about the cruel impact of cosmetic testing on animals.
We see Ralph go through his day in good spirits despite having severe injuries and ailments due to his "job" as a "tester" for cosmetics.
Taika Waititi voices Ralph the rabbit who works as a tester for cosmetics. Photo / The Humane Society of the United States
The short uses humour to communicate Ralph's sad life as a tester. Photo / The Humane Society of the United States
Ralph sheds a tear as a mysterious human hand plucks him out of his home to start his "work" as a tester.
"I know it looks bad, but the way I see it, I'm doing my job if just one human can have the safer illusion of a lipstick, or a deodorant," Ralph says from his enclosure.
His neighbouring bunnies ask why a camera crew is following him around.
"They just following me around, making a documentary or something," he tells them.
The other rabbits plead: "Can you ask them to get us out of here? I don't want to die man!"
A syringe drips a liquid into Ralph's eye and he screams in pain before the camera cuts to Ralph with multiple injuries.
Despite his job and gruesome injuries, poor Ralph gives the camera a thumbs up. Photo / The Humane Society of the United States
"I'd just like to say to everyone out there still buying animal-tested cosmetics like eyeliner, shampoo, sunscreen, pretty much everything in your bathroom ... well without you and countries that allow animal testing, I'd be out of a job."
The documentary-style short is part of the #SaveRalph campaign, a global effort that hopes to put the end to testing on animals.
Waititi shared the short on Instagram and called the practice of cosmetic testing on animals "gross" and "archaic".
"Let's work to save animals like Ralph by signing @hsiglobal's petition to stop animal testing."
