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The Cove (film)

Coordinates: 33°35′55.92″N 135°56′46.86″E / 33.5988667°N 135.9463500°E / 33.5988667; 135.9463500
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The Cove
Canadian free-diving world champion Mandy-Rae Cruickshank swimming with dolphins
Directed byLouie Psihoyos
Written byMark Monroe
Produced byFisher Stevens, Paula DuPre Pesmen
StarringRic O'Barry
Edited byGeoffrey Richman
Music byJ. Ralph
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
United StatesJuly 31, 2009
JapanSummer 2010[1]
Running time
91 minutes
CountryTemplate:FilmUS

The Cove is a 2009 American documentary film about the annual killing of dolphins in a National Park at Taiji, Wakayama, in Japan.[2][3] The film highlights that the number of dolphins killed is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and claims that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year. The migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan's most recent progress report 1,569 cetaceans in Taiji were killed during the 2007 season, including methods other than drive hunting. Only 1,239 cetaceans were killed by drive hunting. A total of 13,080 cetaceans were killed throughout Japan in 2007.[4]

The film was directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos,[5] and portions were filmed secretly during 2007 using underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks.[2][6]

The documentary won the U.S. Audience Award at the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. It was selected out of the 879 submissions in the category.[2][7]

The Cove has been nominated for an Oscar at the 2010 82nd Academy Awards.[8]

Synopsis

The movie follows former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry's quest to document the dolphin hunting operations in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. In the 1960s, O'Barry captured and trained the five wild dolphins who would play the role of "Flipper" in the hit television series of the same name. This pop-culture phenomenon fueled widespread public adoration of dolphins. It was when one of the dolphins committed a form of suicide in his arms, closing her blowhole voluntarily in order to suffocate, that O'Barry came to see it as a curse not a blessing. Days later, he found himself off the island of Bimini, attempting to cut a hole in the sea pen in order to set free a captured dolphin.[9] Since then O'Barry has worked tirelessly as an advocate on behalf of dolphins around the world.

After meeting with O'Barry, Psihoyos and his crew travel to the small town of Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonder of the dolphins and whales that swim off their coast. But in an isolated cove, surrounded by wire and "Keep Out" signs, some of the townspeople hide a stark reality. It is here that the fisherman of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and a dubious and artificial market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in the unseen killing. Together with the Oceanic Preservation Society, Psihoyos, O'Barry, and the crew utilizes special tactics and embark on a mission to get the truth on what is really going on in the cove and why it matters to everyone else in the world.[10]

The film also reports on the alleged "buying" by Japan of votes in the International Whaling Commission.

Production

Among the challenges faced by the production team were the tight security and inaccessibility of the cove. To address some of these issues KernerFX, previously part of Industrial Light & Magic, contributed specialized camouflaged high-definition cameras that were designed to look like rocks. These hidden cameras helped capture footage for the film and were so well camouflaged that, according to Director Louie Psihoyos, the crew had a hard time finding them again.[11]

The documentary demonstrates that despite attempts to work with the town of Taiji, the local and national government were unwilling to participate. Director Psihoyos commented that he originally wanted to do the story legally and with permission from the Japanese government:

“After a tour of the town with Richard [O’Barry], I contacted the Taiji mayor’s office and the dolphin hunters’ union. I wanted to get their side of the story and I wanted to do the story legally. I had noticed that I had picked up a tail; I had 24-hour police surveillance while I was in town. But the town was not interested in cooperating; they were making too much money with the captive dolphin industry to jeopardize it by having a journalist milling about. The mayor told me that I could get hurt or killed by getting too close to the dolphin hunters or the secret cove."

Cast

Reception and aftermath

The film received very positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars (out of four), calling the film "a certain Oscar nominee."[12] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called the film "an exceptionally well-made documentary that unfolds like a spy thriller," going on to describe it as "one of the most audacious and perilous operations in the history of the conservation movement."[13] Other reviewers also played up the espionage angle of the film, including Time Magazine's Mary Pols who said that The Cove "puts Hollywood capers like Mission Impossible to shame," and Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor who agreed, calling it "a rousing piece of real-world thriller filmmaking."[14][15] Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 95% of critics had given the film positive reviews, based upon a sample of 27, summarizing the consensus as "Though decidedly one-sided, The Cove is an impeccably crafted, suspenseful expose of the covert slaughter of dolphins in Japan."[16] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 82, based on 26 reviews.[17]

There were several unfavourable reviews, usually describing the film as well-made propaganda. David Cox of The Guardian Film Blog called it "piece of evangelism". From a Japanese point of view "Westerners... kill and eat cows. Easterners eat dolphins. What's the difference?"[18] According to Michelle Orange of Movie Line "it invokes the same phrase as even the most well-intentioned, impassioned activist docs: Buyer beware."[19] There has been some controversy over the depiction of the Japanese people in the film however upon questioning Director Louie Psihoyos said, "To me, it's a love letter. I'm giving you the information your government won't give you." responding to his sympathy for the Japanese people, many of whom are unaware of the situation occurring at the cove.[20]

The film was shown at the 2009 Tokyo International Film Festival.[21] The film was reported to have received an enthusiastic reception. Japanese viewers interviewed after the film expressed incredulity and outrage.

After the screening of the film in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane film festivals,[22] the councillors of Shire of Broome, Western Australia unanimously voted in August 2009 to suspend its sister city relationship with the Japanese whaling port town of Taiji, as long as Taiji continues its dolphin slaughter.[23][24] The decision was reversed in October 2009.[25]

Dolphin hunting season in Japan begins on September 1 each year. In reaction to the publicity generated by the film, the 2009 dolphin hunting season was postponed until September 9.[26] Out of the 100 dolphins captured on September 9, some were sold into captivity and 70 of the bottlenose dolphins were released. In addition, there were 50 pilot whales killed and sold for meat on the same day. Although Japan remains unclear on their slaughter policy, it has become apparent that The Cove is having an impact on the way in which Japanese fisherman normally conduct the dolphin hunt.[27] However, investigation by Ric O'Barry in December 2009 showed that the killing of dolphins was once again active.[28]

The film was initially screened only at two small venues in Japan: at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo in September 2009, and at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2009. A Japanese film distributor, Medallion Media, subsequently acquired the rights to screen the film in Japan. The company hopes to run the movie in Japanese cinemas in April 2010.[29]

Mercury levels

A recent international study showed that, on average, dolphin meat contains 5 times the maximum allowable level of mercury[30] After the filming of The Cove, dolphin meat was taken off the school lunch menu in Taiji. The Japanese government has issued warnings about pregnant women eating dolphin meat, but maintains that it is safe to consume in small quantities.

Mercury poisoning can damage the brain, kidneys and central nervous system. Studies have also linked mercury with cardiovascular disease, infertility, and high blood pressure. In 2008, dolphins found dead in Australia were found to have suffered severe neurological damage from mercury poisoning. The cause for the high levels of mercury seems to be due to a process called bioaccumulation. Over time, mercury builds up in ocean life through repeated exposure to low-levels of toxins. Oceans become polluted with mercury when atmospheric emissions from coal and industrial plants are transported into the sea.[31]

Awards and nominations

The Cove has been nominated for or received numerous awards, including the following:

It has also received many other awards from various regional film critics' associations.

See also

References

  1. ^ eiga.com: "イルカ漁の映画「ザ・コーヴ」日本公開が決定！漁師の顔は一部カットか？" ('The Cove' Japan release finalized! Fishermen's faces to be cut out?) (9 February 2010). Retrieved 12 February 2010. Template:Ja icon
  2. ^ a b c "Dolphin slaughter film a hit at Sundance" The Japan Times (27 January 2009). Retrieved on 27 January 2009.
  3. ^ OPSociety.org, Oceanic Preservation Society - Facts
  4. ^ National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (2008), Japanese progress report on small cetacean research, article retrieved on November 30, 2009.
  5. ^ The Cove (2008) From Flipper’s Trainer to Dolphin Defender The New York Times July 31, 2009
  6. ^ A Dolphin Horror Film The Wall Street Journal July 31, 2009
  7. ^ The Cove Sundance Festival 2009
  8. ^ a b "Nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards" Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  9. ^ SaveJapanDolphins.org
  10. ^ TheCoveMovie.com
  11. ^ Wired.com, How Filmmakers Used Spy Tech to Catch Dolphin Slaughter, 20 August 2009
  12. ^ The Cove rogerebert.com
  13. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2009-07-31). "Movie Review - The Cove - From Flipper's Trainer to Dolphin Defender - NYTimes.com". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  14. ^ Pols, Mary (2009-08-10). "Documentary Review: The Cove". TIME. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  15. ^ Rainer, Peter (2009-08-07). "Review: 'The Cove'". csmonitor.com. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  16. ^ "The Cove Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  17. ^ "Cove, The reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  18. ^ Guardian.co.uk
  19. ^ MovieLine.com
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ Tabuchi, Hiroko (October 22, 2009). "Film on the Dolphin Hunt Stirs Outrage in Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  22. ^ Dolphin kill film to shock Taiji sister city Broome
  23. ^ Broome suspends sister city relationship with Taiji over dolphin slaughter
  24. ^ 太地のイルカ漁描く映画「The Cove」日本公開を期待
  25. ^ "Australian town embraces Taiji again". The Japan Times. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  26. ^ "Hunters Pass On Opening Day Of Dolphin Season". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. September 5, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
  27. ^ Kageyama, Y. Conservationists say 70 dolphins in Japan released. Associated Press [dead link]
  28. ^ URGENT UPDATE: Dolphins Being Killed Again in Japan. TakePart. January 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  29. ^ Matsutani, Minoru, "Distributor hopes to screen 'The Cove' soon", Japan Times, February 13, 2009, p. 1.
  30. ^ [2]
  31. ^ [3]
  32. ^ DGA Website:"Kathryn Bigelow wins DGA Feature Film Award for The Hurt Locker. Other winners of 2009 DGA Awards announced." (31 January 2010). Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  33. ^ The National Board of Review Official Website, December 2009
  34. ^ The Japan Times: "'Cove' named best documentary" (19 January 2010). Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  35. ^ [4]
  36. ^ [5]
  37. ^ [6]
  38. ^ [7]
  39. ^ IndieWire.com, December 2009

33°35′55.92″N 135°56′46.86″E / 33.5988667°N 135.9463500°E / 33.5988667; 135.9463500

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