The Cove was directed by Louie Psihoyos and features former Flipper , Ric O’Barry, who now dedicates his life to putting an end to the captive dolphin industry.
The movie focuses on a particular fishing village in Japan, Taiji, where every year thousands of dolphins are corralled and brutally killed, turning the sea around the village into a huge pool of blood. Dolphin meat is notorious for being laden with mercury. Besides, the real profit comes from the multi-billion captive dolphin industry, to which the fishermen sell some of the dolphins they capture.
Besides the shocking theme, the film captured the world’s attention for its action thriller structure. In order to make the film, the activists had to use state-of-the-art equipment to avoid the locals’ paranoid and aggressive surveillance, as the filmmakers were not welcome to film the gruesome proceedings in Taiji. The result is a mixture of investigative journalism and stunning imagery that culminates with the revelation of what goes on at the cove.
The producers now hope that the Oscar win will increase exposure for the film in Japan, although those interested in continuing with this cruel and environmentally unsound trade have been making threats against them.
The popular exposé of the food industry Food Inc. was the other environmental movie competiting for the Best Documentary award.
Trailer for The Cove
