These hidden cameras helped capture footage and were so well camouflaged that, according to director Louie Psihoyos, the crew had a hard time finding them again. “The Cove,” directed by Louie Psihoyos, tells the amazing true story of how Psihoyos, O'Barry and an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate a hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. FILM SUMMARY THE COVE is the combined effort of director Louie Psihoyos and activist Ric O’Barry to expose the truth behind a hidden lagoon in Taiji, Japan where 23,000 dolphins are being taken captive every year. "The Cove," a heartbreaking documentary, describes how Richard O'Barry, director Louie Psihoyos and a team of adventurers penetrated the tight security around the Taiji cove and obtained forbidden footage of the mass slaughter of dolphins. Rash’s fifth novel made The New­ York Times Best Seller list. The nature of what they do is so chilling and the consequences are so dangerous to human health that they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it. And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? Laurel Shelton lives in the cove with her brother Hank, who has just returned home from fighting in World War I and is missing a hand. In an opening note Mr. Some notable awards include "Best Documentary" from the Environmental Media Awards,[67] Three Cinema Eye Honors[68] for "Outstanding Achievement", and the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.[69]. Hirotaka Akamatsu, Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, said "it is regrettable that this movie is made as a message that brutal Japanese are killing cute dolphins". The Cove (Louie Psihoyos, 2009) is a documentary, which follows activist Ric O’Barry and The Ocean Preservation Society to … "[34] However, Jacobs does not condemn those who purchase from the Taiji dolphin hunt. Unplugged stated that it was in negotiations with other theaters to screen the film. The documentary won the U.S. Attempts to view or film the dolphin killing in the cove are physically blocked by local police and the Japanese local government who treat the visitors with open intimidation, derision, and anger. The mysteries they uncovered were only the tip of the iceberg. A … "Taiji officials: Dolphin meat 'toxic waste' Assembly pair break taboo, warn of acute mercury risk in school lunches", "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity", "Dolphin Kill Film to Shock Taiji Sister City Broome", "Broome Suspends Sister City Relationship with Taiji Over Dolphin Slaughter", "Film on the Dolphin Hunt Stirs Outrage in Japan", "Right-wingers vow to block release of 'The Cove' in Japan", "The Cove Opens in Tokyo With Clash From Protesters", "Japan defends dolphin hunt in Oscar-winning 'Cove, "Unfazed by 'The Cove,' Taiji's Fishermen Prepare to Resume Dolphin Hunt", "A Social Media Storm Descends on Taiji, the Japanese Town at the Center of a Dolphin Slaughter", Film supportive of dolphin drive hunts draws mixed reaction in Montreal, Taiji drops anchor on dolphin hunts despite increasing pressure, "Kathryn Bigelow wins DGA Feature Film Award for The Hurt Locker. This documentary tries to disclose the dark side of Japan, international dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. [50], In response to the cancellation of screenings of the film in Japan, Japanese video sharing site Nico Nico Douga screened the film free on June 18, 2010. By utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, they uncover a horrible annual tradition of unparalleled cruelty. Listen to The Cove (Original Motion Picture Score) by J. Ralph on Apple Music. [13], The film received predominantly positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars (out of four), calling the film "a certain Oscar nominee". In the seat behind them a young couple were learning into each other, asleep. These well-deserved accolades reward the filmmakers for risky and groundbreaking filming in a highly protected cove in Japan where a dolphin fishery thrives, both to feed the aquarium trade and citizens wishing to enjoy a dolphin dinner. Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health. Taiji, a village in Japan, experiences extensive hunting of dolphins which occur throughout the year. Richard O'Barry was the man who captured and trained the dolphins for the television show Flipper (1964). [51], On July 3, 2010, six theaters in Sendai, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hachinohe began screening the film. [54] However, director Louie Psihoyos spoke of his sympathy for the Japanese people, many of whom are unaware of the situation at the cove, saying "To me, it's a love letter. After one of the dolphins, in O'Barry's opinion, committed a form of suicide in his arms by closing her blowhole voluntarily in order to suffocate, O'Barry came to see the dolphin's captivity and the dolphin capture industry as a curse, not a blessing. 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