THE COVE

Ok , so while we’re on the subject let’s stick to Oscar® winners. Obscure Oscar® winners – say Best Documentary 2010 ? Oh hang on, you heard of it? Yeah, I mean The Cove. If you heard of it, this would not surprise me actually – pick a festival that gives awards to documentaries, The Cove has either been nominated or won something… Now, this has been and always will be a blog dedicated purely to films (or occasionally books) and cinema (or literature as the case may be) and reviews thereof. But I strongly – VERY strongly – suggest you watch The Cove purely for “educational” purposes. This is ecology, the only planet we have to live on – and it’s important.

Now, do you guys remember Flipper ? (Flipper, faster than liiiightning). She (well, technically “they” – there were five Flippers in total) was the pioneer of a new form of entertainment – Dolphin Parks. You know the sort, dolphins jumping through hoops, clapping, amusing us with their seemingly human smiles. Hell, they even look happy – surely there’s no problem there, right ? Well, ok, let’s ask an expert just to be sure. Ric O’Barry for instance. He would know. He was after all the original Flipper’s (all of them) trainer and their “keeper”. And his life is still dedicated to dolphins. The freedom of dolphins. He is trying to painstakingly undo the harm he himself instigated. You see, “The Cove” is an actual cove in Japan. It is quite infamous in the underworld – it is where poachers “herd” wild dolphins. Trainers from parks all over the world gather there to select the dolphins for their respective parks. And the rest ? Oh I think you have a pretty good idea what happens to the rest...

Disclaimer : The Cove is not for the faint of heart. But personally I think you should watch it even if you feel like crying and /or throwing up. As I watched The Cove I was, naturally, overwhelmed with sympathy for the dolphins. But spare a thought for our guide and narrator : Mr O’Barry He is obviously and understandably distraught by the misery he indirectly caused. His case is, in fact, a very good example of the human condition in a way. We live our lives, some of us with very little or no concern for our environment. We do not consider the effects of our actions on plants or animals. If we knew better, maybe we too would raise the black flag and wage war on “the system”. In short this film will bother you but undoubtedly push you to seriously think about our planet. And this cannot be a bad thing…