Press/Blog Excerpts:

"Seeing Through the Fence smartly peppers humor throughout...Vlachos serves up a vital and highly likable film..."
--The Feminist Review (New York, NY)

"Seeing Through the Fence accomplishes an impressive feat: It's a documentary about
animals, food and veganism that will not only appeal to omnivores, but actually is quite often funny. 
It's not dour and earnest; it's poignant and warm..."
--Mary Jessica Hammes, Athens Banner-Herald (Athens, GA)

"A documentary with bite...Adding to the discussion of a truly balanced diet is Eleni Vlachos and her do-it-yourself picture, Seeing Through the Fence.
Using a handheld digital recorder, Vlachos traveled the country and abroad interviewing random people, taking a humor-infused, omnivore-friendly look at the world of vegans, vegetarians and the ethics of modern food production."
--Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

“Seeing Through The Fence possesses a humble and personal spirit that constantly seeks to actively engage all audiences—
including omnivores—in a frank and open discussion about the current state of food sustainability and production in America.
The picture serves not only as a goldmine of enlightening statistics, but manages—in a mere 60 minutes—to deliver
a crash course in vegan ideology that feels neither condescending nor detached.
Vlachos’ footage stands apart from the crowd primarily because it acknowledges a wide array of perspectives and tastefully
refrains from the visual scare tactics...Instead of revolting an audience into accepting or rejecting a strictly
black-and-white moral picture, Vlachos makes an admirable artistic effort to ponder the ethical gray areas
of what is arguably a global food sustainability crisis.”
-–Jason Douglass, Yale Herald (New Haven, CT)

“Vlachos, armed with a hand-held camera and a mind full of questions, takes to streets, dog parks and pig sanctuaries, from Seattle to North Carolina
to Greece. She questions passersby, friends and family about the rights of animals and the role of meat in their daily lives. It's in these conversations
between family and friends that the film finds its real voice. Here, Vlachos is less of a streetwise interviewer and more of a patient philosopher."
--Independent Weekly (Durham, NC)

“I eat meat. Always have, probably always will. So, why would I want to watch a documentary about vegans and vegetarians?
To see the different point of view that “Seeing Through the Fence” offers... the documentary flows through interviews with Vlachos’ family,
activists and people on the street. In this humorous pro-vegan documentary, Vlachos allows others to speak their minds...”
--LEO Weekly, Staff Picks (Louisville, KT)

“...humorous and thought provoking..." --The Guilfordian (Guilford College, Greensboro, NC)

“Seeing Through the Fence...is an earnest and relatively non-confrontational world view from a vegan’s vantage point. Above all,
Vlachos said, she wants her film to open up conversation about the choices we make when we buy food and eat.”
--Relish (Winston-Salem, NC)

“Armed solely with a mini-DV camera and microphone, Vlachos interviews vegetarians and meat eaters alike across the United States,
as well as in Greece, where her father currently lives. She interviewed fellow activists, family members and strangers.
For a documentary that condemns cruel practices of industrial poultry, beef and pork farming, Vlachos' film is rather omnivore-friendly.
Although nearly half of the people she interviews enjoy eating meat, Vlachos never comes off as being pushy or confrontational during their discussions.”
--Go Triad! (Greensboro, NC)

"...interviewees seem open and willing to think about their choices and to provide answers from their hearts as well as their minds.
Eleni’s comfortable, non-judgmental approach, coupled with her natural self-deprecating sense of humor (it reminded me of Ellen Degeneres),
gives the film a quality usually absent from films on the serious subject of the ethics of what we eat." --Judith Lautner, The Vegan Soapbox (Blog)

Student/Professor/Viewer Quotes and Testimonials

"Thank you for hosting the screening of your film for the philosophy club at the University of Kansas!
I think it is an excellent piece of work, both as an instance of filmmaking in general and as a means to engaging
with a range of ethical issues. I should also say that the film had a significant effect on me (a non-vegan)."
--Dr. Scott Jenkins, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Kansas, Lawrence

"Seeing Through the Fence was screened as part of our Sustainable Development film series,
which explores issues concerning sustainable energy and agriculture. The film not only addresses
the cruelty inherent in modern factory farms, but also how Americans can no longer sustainably afford
to eat as they do today. The film provoked lively conversations and received great feedback from attending students.
I highly recommend this film to other universities."
--Veronica Dristas, Outreach Coordinator for Global Studies, University of Pittsburgh

"First- THANK YOU for your gracious presentation.  I really enjoyed hearing from someone
who took the time to listen to lots of perspectives.  It made the hard subject more accessible
and more real.  I also really enjoyed watching how you met the students where they were.  
I look forward to seeing what they write in their reflections."
--Dr. Julia Nerbonne, Professor of Environmental Ethics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul

"Showcasing a wide variety of opinions from both vegans and meat eaters alike, Seeing Through the Fence
was a truly eye opening event for both me and the members of the Drexel Sierra Club. The documentary showcased
refreshing viewpoints from (forgive the pun) both sides of the fence give a nice broad view of the decisions
we make everyday when we sit down at the dinner table....a must see for vegans and meat eaters alike."
--Stephen Wayland, President, Drexel Sierra Student Coalition

"Thanks very much for coming to UHD and screening your film...from all the reports I’ve received so far, the event was impressive and a success.  
Some of my students have already been in touch with me to follow up on details from the film—and we’re on spring break!" 
--Dr. Joseph Westfall, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Houston, Downtown

“Seeing Through the Fence was a surprise – a wonderful combination of storytelling, comedy, and activism.
I was particularly compelled with the personal, familial perspective from which filmmaker Eleni Vlachos chooses
to present her thoughts on being vegan...pointing out that years of cultural tradition cannot be ignored.
This film is not a sermon, and...will never fail to provoke thoughtful discussion.”
--Beth-Ann Kutchma, Vice President, Carolina for Kiberia; Fulbright Program Advisor, UNC-Chapel Hill; Program Officer,
the Center for Global Initiatives.

"Thanks so much for your thought-provoking film...it has already provoked several conversations with colleagues today.”
Dr. Cynthia Steele, Chair, Department of Comparative Literature; University of Washington.

"The aspects of environmental sustainability and the food we eat are intrinsically related,
and Seeing Through the Fence did a wonderful job of bringing out this and many other important facts to people.”
--Vinodh Valluri, Event Coordinator, The Environmental Society, University of Texas, Arlington.

"I am grateful for this timely film.  It helped me to see that we can be compassionate and still enjoy food and a healthy life."
--Linda Thompson, Retired School Teacher, Durham, NC.

"Very creative! Seeing Through the Fence is subtle yet powerful enough to open hearts and minds. A real gem...everyone should see this film."
--Esta Lewin, Counselor/Career Services Coordinator, Lake Tahoe Community College, CA.

"I would encourage anyone/everyone to check this film out. I caught a screening...and was impressed.
Eleni did a great job of tackling a sometimes very emotional and passionate issue ... without any of the sensationalism
or over the top shock value that, unfortunately, seems to creep into the discussion/argument all to often...
Yet the effectiveness of her message/arguments was not lost. I (a decidedly non-vegan) left the screening
with the feeling that I had been informed and enlightened, not scolded, shamed and/or yelled at.
Very well done. Kudos to Eleni and friends!"
--Martin Hall, Durham, NC

"Eleni Vlachos, with camera in hand and judgement reserved, takes to the streets in the United States to talk with activists and non-activists alike
about animals, culture, food, and the many factors that shape daily consumption. We also travel with Vlachos to Greece,
as she meets with her father and other family to explore these questions in person. What emerges is a set of intimate conversations
that are at times funny and bittersweet. Those who have found themselves misunderstood by their families because of their veganism
will likely see their experiences reflected in these moving and sympathetic family portraits.
First-time documentarian Eleni Vlachos offers a film whose ethical heart rests at the seat of conversation."
--Animal Voices Radio, Toronto CA

“This brand new documentary is as enjoyable as it is enlightening. Filmmaker Eleni Vlachos brings an honest and humorous touch
to exploring the views that govern our relationships with animals. Through interviews with friends, family, activists, and random strangers 
we see how complex, poorly understood, and truly interesting our views towards animals really are.
The interweaving of Eleni's family members and their divergent views on animals brings a heart warming touch to this film.
Beyond all, this documentary brings hope, as we discover that even those who oppose animal rights do so in spite of their good hearts.
For the activist, this film will give you perspective. For the meat eater, this film will give you second thought.”
--Adam Wilson, Director, TARS, Toronto, ONT

Features/Critics Picks:

Pick in Chicago Reader blog (Chicago, IL)

The Porch'n Tour appeared on television on the AM Arizona show -- (Prescott, AZ)

Read It News (Prescott, AZ)

The Alibi --Devin D. O’Leary, the Reel World (Albuquerque, NM)

Delaware Review -- (Newark, DE)

facebakersfield --NL Belardes (Bakersfield, CA)

The Tribune News --She Likes to Watch, (San Luis Obispo, CA)

"Alternapick" (Critics choice) --The Other Paper (Columbus, Ohio)

Gazette Times -- (Corvallis, Oregon)

Veg News --Elizabeth Castoria (National)

The Olympian --Molly Gilmore (Olympia, Washington)

The Missoulian --Mark Page (Missoula, MT)

Colorado Springs Independent --Reverb, Adam Leech, (Colorado Springs, CO)

Keeping Austin Free --(Blog)

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For more about the film, see our Screening Pack on the Press & Promo page.