I had a real hard time watching this documentary movie. I'm sure if I watched a film about the slaughtering of cows, turkeys, chicken, pigs or anything else I consume, it would probably make a vegetarian out of me right after viewing. But it's the way of our land and humans have become accustomed to buying the pretty packages in the store and accepting it. The difference is, the meat we eat is raised specifically for our consumption and in no shortage. And while we would be in an uproar if we found inhuman treatment of our food table, it's regulated, loosely inspected and widely accepted. But the slaughter of these intelligent marine creatures will not be tolerated and must be stopped.Dolphins, and other ocean mammals, are growing smaller in numbers due to overfishing of our oceans. Humans do not have the right to dictate any species future. When dolphin meat is bitter, not an enjoyable taste, and mercury laden from their rank in the food chain, how can we as a human race continue to allow this slaughter to happen in Taiji or anywhere else. The dolphins don't stand a chance once hoarded together and brutally carved while alive, turning the once calm waters into a sea of blood. Even the Japanese seem immune to what's happening in their own backyard. The Japanese people use dolphins and other marine animals, as we do here, holding them hostage to perform for profit and entertainment. While these creatures captivate the crowds, around the corner in a tiny cove not many have heard of and most are unaware, continues the slaughter of these sensitive serene creatures.
I've gone on a few whale watching expeditions and the highlight for me is always when I am surrounded by dolphins playfully swimming along side the boat. For me, it makes me want to jump in along side of them, envying their free spirit. Our guide told us a dolphin can look up on us on deck and tell if we are female, male, pregnant, children or adults. Having almost felt their spirit, as they engulfed our ship, "The Cove" makes it that much more difficult for me to view their tragic demise. What I found so great is that the one person who made dolphins so famous in our lives by capturing and training the dolphins used in the Flipper television series, is now the same animal activist deeply against keeping these sensitive and highly intelligent creatures in captivity. In an almost a redemption for his 1960's work, Richard O'Barry sets off to expose the secrets of a brutal fishing industry that lies to it's people while trying to camouflage it's effects.
In the small town of Taiji, along the Japanese coast, lies a multi million dollar industry of the worst kind. The abusive fisherman who hunt and kill dolphins to support their economy. Richard O'Barry is not welcomed in this part of the land and this film is his attempt to expose and stop herding these dolphins to their own slaughter in a secluded cove away from public view. Please visit The Cove Movie web site to do your part to help.
Nominated for 1 Oscar - Awards include:
2009 - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Best Documentary Feature
2009 - Toronto Film Critics Association - Best Documentary
2009 - National Board of Review - Best Documentary
Roadside AttractionsDirector: Louie Psihoyos
Writer: Mark Monroe
Producers: Olivia Ahneman, Paula DuPre Pesman, Fisher Stevens
I viewed 4/10
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