Why Movies Matter: 'The Cove'
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Politics
The Cove is an indie documentary that got great reviews but didn't do so hot at the box office, not only because it was a tiny independently distributed documentary but also because of its brutal subject matter. The Cove is about the slaughter of around 23,000 dolphins every year in just one cove in Taiji, Japan, and the group assembled by former dolphin trainer-turned-advocate Ric O'Barry to try and stop it. Cinematical's very own Scott Weinberg's Sundance review was blurbed in the trailer, and William Goss urged film-goers to "get brave and see The Cove already!"
O'Barry, who is also the director for Save Japan Dolphins and returns to Taiji regularly despite the danger of the local yakuza, has good news this year. When he returned for the first day of the annual dolphin slaughter, along with journalists from major international publications, "the notorious Cove from the movie was empty. There were no dolphin killers in sight." Not only that, but Japanese police and media were also there to talk to him and cover the story – big news since according to O'Barry, the Japanese media has been ignoring the situation until now.
Over at TakePart, he writes, "Yes, today was a good day for dolphins. Tomorrow, I will take journalists with me around town to show them Taiji. Tomorrow, too, I predict will be a good day for dolphins. Every day that we are here and the fishermen KNOW we are here, will likely mean no boats going out to round up dolphins for the killing Cove."
If that isn't news that renews your faith in film and advocacy, well, I don't know what is.
Have you seen The Cove? Did you donate to Save Japan Dolphins or otherwise take action afterwards? What documentaries have you seen that mattered to you?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-02-2009 @ 8:20PM
Matt said...
The Cove is amazing. I donated 100 bucks to the foundation (I'm a student, it's all I have to give really) but I'm glad something is happening to stop this brutal bullshit.
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9-02-2009 @ 9:03PM
RTMS said...
That's great news, but my fear is that all they've done is move it to another village etc to avoid the cameras. I really hope O'Barry investigates this further before declaring victory.
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9-02-2009 @ 9:20PM
jj said...
Seems like a good documentry but sadly enough I really don't care about dolphins enough to give money. But to answer your question " What documentaries have you seen that mattered to you?" I have to say Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. This movie filled me with all kinds of emotions and it's one of those movies where you question everything in life once it's over.
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9-02-2009 @ 9:34PM
FourKings said...
I started SCUBA diving when I was a preteen, and ever since then I've tried to be a part-time advocate of the ocean. I think regardless of whether or not people believe cetaceans are "above" other species in the ocean, one cannot argue with the important role they play as large predators and the staggering depletion mankind has had on their numbers.
As a current college student, I find it very surprising this show hasn't had a larger impact on college campuses, much like "Invisible Children" did several years ago. Young people are very impressionable, and a well made documentary can do wonders to persuade people that an issue is important (Just take a look at the online distribution of the ridiculous, yet well paced, "Zeitgeist"). I've personally given my money to Sea Shepherd for years now because they're (from what I can tell), ultimately nonviolent yet at the same time they take direct action to stop whaling ships. I just hope that their mission doesn't become convoluted because of their recent television series.
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9-02-2009 @ 9:41PM
JCB said...
It's not over. The fisherman have merely halted the hunt till the cameras leave. It's like a game of cat and mouse or a standoff. The good news is that the Japanese media have finally got off their collective arse and are asking questions, especially about the high mercury of the dolphin meat. The city was forced to take it out of school lunches, but is not answering way they had to do so.
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9-03-2009 @ 12:10AM
Matt said...
Thanks, man. Insightful.
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9-03-2009 @ 2:13AM
shadowracer said...
What is this a new monthly feature?
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/18/fan-rant-talking-heads-stop-making-waves/
It's part of the Japanese culture, as long as they don't hunt them to extinction it's their business.
Why doesn't Spain or Mexico get this kind of attention for Bullfighting - they've been doing it for quite a while.
Save the Sharks first. Sharks>Whales>Dolphins.
*Some species of dolphin commit gang rape and murder FYI
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9-03-2009 @ 9:14AM
NP said...
The fact of the matter is that Spain does get hell for bullfighting, but from animal rights groups, not in the form of a documentary that has suddenly broken through to the mainstream.
It's a little frustrating to see people acting like The Cove has brought the topic of dolphin slaughter out of obscurity when animal rights groups (and no, I don't mean peta necessarily, there are many different animal rights groups) have been trying to draw attention to the issue for a long time. People don't want to pay attention, but all of a sudden, this documentary comes out of nowhere and is coronated by film festivals as some kind of crusader. But because animal rights groups want to talk about all kinds of animal exploitation, and not just the way we treat those cutesy brilliant dolphins, they are dismissed.
9-03-2009 @ 2:29PM
ML said...
Based on the review (I don't see many nature documentaries anymore, too depressing), the meat is poisonous (due to mercury) and exported, not consumed internally (that is, within Japan). If you're saying that overfishing and exporting the take for profit is "part of the Japanese culture," then OK.
9-03-2009 @ 3:29AM
Matt said...
Dolphins are essential to ocean ecology. Bulls are completely outside of the natural eco-system since being domesticated. 11,000 bulls are killed in the world from bullfights each calendar year. 23,000 dolphins are killed in the one Japanese village in the space of six months.
The notion that dolphin drive hunting is Japanese culture is bullshit - it's not a traditional practice and was only begun when boats were made fast enough to keep pace with schools of migrating animals. The Japanese people have very little idea dolphin drive hunting even takes place.
Learn about what you're saying before you shoot your mouth off. You're an idiot.
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9-03-2009 @ 12:40PM
LM said...
What The Cove has accomplished has been incredible, but it's not time to stop supporting it yet. Keep supporting The Cove and spreading the word until we know for sure that the dolphins have been saved!
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9-14-2009 @ 9:52AM
akorozco said...
This video (http://www.newsy.com/videos/hunting_the_dolphin_hunters) shows the reactions and condemnations from around the world… Some of Taiji’s sister cities have even cut off their relationship as long as the hunt continues!
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