The Cove. Best documentary feature.
I saw this film at its premiere in Montreal at the AMC cinema back in August. One of my friends, who shall remain nameless, had tickets and knowing my passion for documentary films asked me to come along. At first I was skeptical, you see my friend is an animal lover and obsesses over them, so I thought I was getting into some pro-PETA type flick. But to the contrary, The Cove is a well-thought out film that follows former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos in his campaign to expose the irrational annual mass killing of dolphins in Japan.
As director, Psihoyos follows former dolphin trainer Rick O’Barry, who captured and trained ‘Flipper’, to return to Japan and expose the slaughter at a cove in Taiji, Wakayama. The crew uses covert means to acquire the necessary footage because locals and government officials were unwilling to talk. One scene that sticks out the most is when a Japanese man follows and accosts them, basically threatening their lives. After the screening, Psihoyos mentioned the unusual tactics used to try and cover everything up. The Cove is a sobering film that makes you want to stand up and demand change.
Adam Bemma is a journalist and media development advisor.
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