
This year, you can celebrate Earth Day with Anika the Vizsla, who stars in a short documentary about the landslide that threatened her humans’ hillside home in Big Sur, California.
“California Landslide” premieres Wednesday, April 22 at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) on YouTube.
The 18-minute short film details filmmakers (and Anika’s owners) Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz’s idyllic life in Big Sur, until they were displaced by the largest coastal landslide in California’s history.
Anika loves romping on the beaches and running through the Redwood forests of Northern California, but all that is threatened by the landslide. The film, as told from Anika’s point of view, highlights the social and environmental impact of natural disasters.
As voiced by Zentz, Anika says, “My story might seem insignificant in the big picture, but no one is too small to make a difference. Dana said that studies show that people with post-disaster trauma recover quicker when they have an animal companion. Sarah said I saved their lives.”
Anika’s philosophy: “The bond between me and my pack has to be as strong as a grove of redwood trees.” She adds, “It is vital that humans love one another and, as stewards of the earth, protect the planet we call home.”
Richardson and Zentz will be watching and chatting live during the premiere.