One of UnchainedTV’s missions is to document the history of the animal rights movement by collecting and streaming key films that focus on historic developments in the movement. This 2006 documentary is one of those seminal films. It's about a covert war, waged in the dead of night, fought, not for territory or wealth, but for the lives of voiceless animals.

In 2006, director and animal rights attorney Shannon Keith pulled back the veil on this underground movement with her gripping 72-minute documentary, Behind the Mask: The Story of the People Who Risk Everything to Save Animals. Produced over three grueling years of clandestine filming, intense interviewing, and meticulous editing, the film stands as a raw, polarizing chronicle of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Distributed by Uncaged Films and ARME and edited by Sandra Mohr, it offers an unprecedented look into the lives of those who deliberately step outside the boundaries of the law to combat animal exploitation.

The Ideology of Direct Action
At the heart of Behind the Mask is a provocative premise articulated by Keith herself:
"Change only happens in society when laws are broken."

The documentary centers on a radical faction of activists who take action when traditional legal channels and peaceful protests fail to stop institutionalized cruelty and injustice towards animals. They choose direct action—covertly breaking into laboratories, factory farms, and fur facilities. Armed with bolt cutters and cameras, these individuals risk everything to rescue animals from confinement and capture undercover footage of the hidden industries that profit from torturing innocent beings.

A Convergence of Movement Icons
The film serves as a definitive historical record of the radical animal rights movement, bringing together some of its most prominent, controversial, and heavily targeted figures. The documentary features insight and commentary from a notable lineup of activists, scholars, and organizers, some of whom have faced severe legal retaliation and imprisonment for their actions. Among those featured in the film:

Steven Best (Animal rights philosopher and educator)
Rod Coronado & Kevin Kjonaas (High-profile American activists)
John Curtin, Ronnie Lee, & Keith Mann (Pioneers of the British ALF movement)
Chris DeRose (Founder of Last Chance for Animals)
Greg Avery & Mel Broughton (UK-based campaigners)
John Feldmann (Musician and outspoken advocate)
Ingrid Newkirk (Co-founder and president of PETA)
Jerry Vlasak (Trauma surgeon)
Paul Watson (Founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)
Robin Webb (ALF Press Officer)

Behind the Mask does not merely observe; it challenges the viewer to confront a deeply unsettling question: When the law fails to protect the vulnerable, is breaking it an act of crime—or an act of ultimate necessity?