The Cove is in theaters now
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Here's a review with some fairly detailed background info from a local publication here in Vancouver (The Georgia Straight):
Taiji's terrible secret comes to light in The Cove | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com
Very interesting. I'm looking forward to the film opening here next week.
Taiji's terrible secret comes to light in The Cove | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com
Very interesting. I'm looking forward to the film opening here next week.
Some of these scenes will look familiar if you saw the movie but the OPS people can put together a better short movie aimed at the Japanese people themselves for YouTube distribution. Lord knows they won't get to see the real movie.
BlueVoice: YouTube - Fight To Save Taiji Dolphins
AtlanticBlue: YouTube - The Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan - Nov. 2007
SaveJapanDolphins: YouTube - Dolphin Swim Programs & SLAUGHTER Linked!!!! (graphic)
BlueVoice: YouTube - Fight To Save Taiji Dolphins
AtlanticBlue: YouTube - The Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan - Nov. 2007
SaveJapanDolphins: YouTube - Dolphin Swim Programs & SLAUGHTER Linked!!!! (graphic)
One would think the Japanese would be very conscious of the mercury poisoning issue since, as best I can remember, since one form of it (Minamata disease) was discovered there due to methyl mercury contamination. Of course we all know of the mad hatter disease.
Watched this excellent documentary 2 nights ago.
Please sign the petitions! Sep is drawing close!
This is to WAZA (World Association for Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the world's largest network of zoos and aquariums around the world). Target is 10k. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter
This is to President Obama. Target is 50k. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/724210624
Please sign the petitions! Sep is drawing close!
This is to WAZA (World Association for Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the world's largest network of zoos and aquariums around the world). Target is 10k. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter
This is to President Obama. Target is 50k. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/724210624
Hey Cat, I wonder why no one seems to be talking about The Cove here. Either I can not find the discussion, the vast majority of forum members just live too far from Japan, people don't care, I don't know. My wife was in Jakarta today and everyone was talking about. They weren't even divers and it's not showing there yet either. Go figure.
sambolino44
Contributor
I saw the film night before last and have been recommending it to everyone ever since. It raises a bunch of interesting questions, but I hate to see everyone get sucked in by the emotional side and possibly miss the opportunity to really think about some of the larger issues. I realize that before you can get anybody to sign the petition you gotta fill seats in the movie house, but I could have done with a little less of the "Oceans 11 suspense thriller" side of it.
Also, it's no surprise that the Japanese people would not appreciate this film because, mostly, it portrays them as two-dimensional mindless automatons, whether it's the scheming bureaucrats, the evil fishermen, or the hapless everyday citizens. Now that I've seen the film, I'd be very interested to see a decent interview with one of the local fishermen, to let them express their side of the issue in a more articulate way than yelling "Go away!" at the camera. Not that I expect that I'd be swayed by their argument, but it's more that I find an argument more compelling when you give the other side a voice. I thought the lack of decent Japanese translation in the film was inexcusable, and it really added to the almost racist tone.
Having said that, even before I watched this film I've had trouble understanding the Japanese culture's relationship with the natural world. For instance, I always had this image of immaculate gardens and clean cityscapes, but was shocked by photos of Japanese people happily strolling along trash-strewn beaches, apparently oblivious to the garbage surrounding them. Also, for some reason I thought vegetarianism was common in Japan, but it seems to me that most Japanese people I've met not only eat meat and fish, but they don't seem to even understand the concept of vegetarianism. It could be just the language barrier, but I think there's a larger cultural barrier that's really hard to understand. And I think that, despite the good intentions, this film really only adds to that cultural barrier rather than working to break it down. And in the end, I think that will be the film's undoing.
Also, it's no surprise that the Japanese people would not appreciate this film because, mostly, it portrays them as two-dimensional mindless automatons, whether it's the scheming bureaucrats, the evil fishermen, or the hapless everyday citizens. Now that I've seen the film, I'd be very interested to see a decent interview with one of the local fishermen, to let them express their side of the issue in a more articulate way than yelling "Go away!" at the camera. Not that I expect that I'd be swayed by their argument, but it's more that I find an argument more compelling when you give the other side a voice. I thought the lack of decent Japanese translation in the film was inexcusable, and it really added to the almost racist tone.
Having said that, even before I watched this film I've had trouble understanding the Japanese culture's relationship with the natural world. For instance, I always had this image of immaculate gardens and clean cityscapes, but was shocked by photos of Japanese people happily strolling along trash-strewn beaches, apparently oblivious to the garbage surrounding them. Also, for some reason I thought vegetarianism was common in Japan, but it seems to me that most Japanese people I've met not only eat meat and fish, but they don't seem to even understand the concept of vegetarianism. It could be just the language barrier, but I think there's a larger cultural barrier that's really hard to understand. And I think that, despite the good intentions, this film really only adds to that cultural barrier rather than working to break it down. And in the end, I think that will be the film's undoing.
I can't reply to much of your post but I can say that vegetarians are no more common in Japan than in the US or Europe. Seafood, beef, chicken, etc are big parts of their diet. Having said that, they just seem to make it taste much better there. 
Traditionally and as a generalization, they also seem to balance their diet better, except of course for dolphin & whale meat.
Traditionally and as a generalization, they also seem to balance their diet better, except of course for dolphin & whale meat. Similar threads
