Ryan Scott
April 19th, 2010, 12:11 PM
This film won the Best Documentary Oscars at this year's Academy Awards. I believe it was well deserved. A good documentary combines a unique perspective on an important issue with quality film making that is entertaining to watch. The Cove scores on both account.
It is set up as a secret mission to film the mass slaughter of dolphins in a hidden cove near Taiji, Japan which occurs every year. More than 50,000 dolphins are herded up and killed each year. The entire process is funded by zoos and aquariums which by a small number of these dolphins for their shows at high prices. Dolphins not purchased are killed brutally.
The film is exciting because it shows the whole process of getting the secret footage and just how deeply the conspiracy to keep such slaughter a secret permeates the local government and, at times, the larger fishing community in Japan.
Being a documentary, it's going to be controversial, but there is something for everyone. Environmental concerns, history, government cover-ups, physical danger, etc.
The driving force behind the movie is Rick O'Barry, the original dolphin trainer and actor on Flipper who popularized such dolphin shows that he is now routinely arrested for protesting. O'Barry recounts his life's work which has become to undo everything he did in the first part of his life. One particularly emotional encounter was his story of how one of the Flipper dolphins committed suicide in his arms - the event which changed his perspective on the human-dolphin relationship.
Ultimately the point of the movie is that dolphins are too intelligent to be captured and eaten in the manner of other fish. I highly recommend taking 90 minutes to see this film. There's a lot here to think about with any number of possible reactions.
It is set up as a secret mission to film the mass slaughter of dolphins in a hidden cove near Taiji, Japan which occurs every year. More than 50,000 dolphins are herded up and killed each year. The entire process is funded by zoos and aquariums which by a small number of these dolphins for their shows at high prices. Dolphins not purchased are killed brutally.
The film is exciting because it shows the whole process of getting the secret footage and just how deeply the conspiracy to keep such slaughter a secret permeates the local government and, at times, the larger fishing community in Japan.
Being a documentary, it's going to be controversial, but there is something for everyone. Environmental concerns, history, government cover-ups, physical danger, etc.
The driving force behind the movie is Rick O'Barry, the original dolphin trainer and actor on Flipper who popularized such dolphin shows that he is now routinely arrested for protesting. O'Barry recounts his life's work which has become to undo everything he did in the first part of his life. One particularly emotional encounter was his story of how one of the Flipper dolphins committed suicide in his arms - the event which changed his perspective on the human-dolphin relationship.
Ultimately the point of the movie is that dolphins are too intelligent to be captured and eaten in the manner of other fish. I highly recommend taking 90 minutes to see this film. There's a lot here to think about with any number of possible reactions.