Donkeys, a neglected animal, are having a moment – and they deserve it | Maeve Higgins

They might seem like creatures who plod along thoughtlessly, but people who care for them know better

Donkeys are having a moment, not that they care. The sturdy creatures, famous for their stoicism, are screen sirens now. Donkeys have starring roles in two of the most celebrated films released this year: British-Irish director Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin and Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski's EO, which premiered at Cannes and took home the jury prize.

Skolimowski cast a donkey, not the most elegant of equines, as his lead after coming across one and being taken by the liquid beauty of his eyes. In an interview with NPR, he said: What struck me was the size of his eyes and a specific melancholic expression of those eyes, which I thought could be read as a comment on every situation the donkey would find himself in. And then, by cutting to these enormous eyes, one at least could imagine what was going on in the donkey's head."