Mike Jr, will never end up at the end of a fork!” says truck driver turned animal rescuer Mike Stura, who after a last minute intervention with a slaughterhouse owner, was able to give this steer a new life, in Woodstock, NY. My imagination was sparked for this film, after I saw a news clip about the calf who had broken free from an enclosure at a slaughterhouse, and ended up running along a busy road in Paterson New Jersey. "Escape Artists: The Tale of Mike, Mike Jr, and Freddie", follows the journey of Mike Jr. and Freddie, two animals who defy their destiny of imminent slaughter; Mike from Paterson New Jersey, and Freddie from Jamaica Queens, (named after Freddie Mercury of Queen). Unfolding through various perspectives, this documentary short deals with existential issues, as well as deeply personal ones.

Image by Nancy Siesel