The Cove is in theaters now

[Louie]

Saw this just now. Appears the annual dolphin slaughter has started in Taiji. I"m not surprised...

Japan?s Taiji to Resume Annual Dolphin Hunt Amid Criticism - Bloomberg.com

 

[Soakedlontra]

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....

"The Emotional Side" contributes to make the majority of us to decide, to a certain extent, what is morally acceptable and what it is not. In the case of The Cove generating empathy towards the dolphins in an audience by anthropomorphizing the animals and constructing a special relationship between them and us is of vital importance if, as you mentioned, the goal of the documentary is to mobilize more people and convince them to act in order to stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.

I agree with you when you pointed out that the movie portrays the Japanese in a stereotypical way. Like you I am totally baffled by certain aspects of Japanese culture in particular on how they relate towards Nature. I have read all sorts of stories such as they don't cut down trees in their own country but devastate the rain forest somewhere else so they can manufacture chop sticks made of mahogany or when I was on vacation in Costa Rica a local told me that the Japanese got fishing rights for 10 years in exchange for building a bridge and now the local fishermen cannot make a living because the fish stock has been depleted etc.etc.

So for me, as a westerner, it is very easy to let myself to despise the Japanese to the bone. Despite all of this I still wished the film-maker had chosen a different approach to portray the Japanese folks involved in the slaughter of the dolphins.

However the film does raise important questions about the role of the International Whaling Commission, oceans overfishing, the artificial creation of a market for a product (dolphin and whale meat) for profit and the role that a lot of us has in supporting marine mammals water circuses!

 

[sambolino44]

I had a conversation today with a guy who recently had one of those captive "Dolphin Experiences". He remarked that the dolphin was obviously very happy to have the interaction, and couldn't wait to get to play with the people. My reply was along the lines of, "If you were in prison, wouldn't visitor hour be the highlight of your day?"

My wife and I recently stopped drinking milk and cut way down on all our dairy products after learning about the dairy industry. One factor was veal. I never thought about it before, but how do they keep those cows producing milk, but by having them produce babies. And what happens to those babies? They are kept their whole lives in tiny pens until they become veal. A lot of people choose not to eat veal or lamb because they find the practice objectionable. But I don't think most people are aware of how they are supporting the veal industry by consuming dairy products.

Just like how my friend at work didn't know how, by supporting the dolphin experience business, he was also a factor in the dolphin slaughter that this movie exposed.

 

[xariatay]

For the latest updates from Taiji, visit SaveJapanDolphins.org | Blog Read about Mr Isii who used to hunt dolphins at Futo. Good news is the Taiji dolphins are OK as of 4th Sep...

 

[xariatay]

Unfortunately good times doesn't last... The dolphins are again being hunted. Taiji starts hunt, vows to sell haul to aquariums | The Japan Times Online Although dolphins that are not selected for aquariums & such would be released, pilots whales would be slaughtered...

imho, this article abt the tourist dollars driving the demand for dolphins is good... Dolphin hunt film sparks dilemma for tourists - News- msnbc.com

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

I must confess that I simply can't bring myself to go and watch the film. I have read many online interviews with the film-makers and seen stills from the movie itself, and that's more than enough for me. Kudos to the folk that actually made it to the cinema, saw enough to be outraged, and won't rest until the annual dolphin slaughter is history.

Despite not viewing the documentary, I'm following its effects with the greatest hope and interest. As someone who spent a lot of time in Western Australia , I was delighted to learn that the northwest town of Broome recently severed its sister city ties with Taiji for as long as the dolphin slaughtering continues (Broome to dump Taiji as sister city over dolphin slaughter - The West Australian). I signed the petition some weeks ago, but never actuiallt thought anything would come of it, but I'm delighted to be wrong! True, it's just a gesture, but in the context of Japan's importance as an Australian trade partner, it's quite significant: Australian government officials have historically been reluctant to make any moves that could offend Japanese sensibilities and adversely affect the potential for future trade. Hopefully, it's yet another wee bit of pressure that will combine with other forms of pressure to bring about the end of the dolphins suffering.