The Cove: Response Writing
“The Cove” – a documentary film by Louie Psihoyos
The Oscar winning documentary film “The Cove”, directed by Louie Psihoyos, exposes the annual massacre of 23,000 small cetaceans in the National Park Taiji, Japan. Even though the trade of dolphins whether using them alive for entertainment purposes is unethical and selling their toxic meat is dangerous for the health, the Japanese authorities are supporting it with all possible means. The Japanese government is not only preventing any publicity about the dolphin slaughter, but it is also bribing the International Whaling Committee, which is supposed to control the trade of cetaceans and protect the rights of the marine mammals. Consequently, the crew of volunteers led by the ex-dolphin trainer and current animal rights activist Ric O’Barry is prevented from legally filming the fisher men at Taiji. “Armed” with sophisticated technology, the volunteers risk their safety, and despite the fishermen harassing them, and the police following them one step behind, successfully document the brutal killing of the dolphins.
Every single scene in the documentary “The Cove” is overwhelming. One after the other the facts about the dolphin slaughter add up to a truth which is difficult to accept. A wide range of human arrogance, cruelty, and irresponsibility flourishes in this beautiful, almost magic National Park in Japan. Throughout the film, I felt angry, sad, feeling sorry for the helpless dolphins until the scene where the director shows the actual killing taking place. The scenes were so disturbing: the water colored bright red from the dolphin’s blood, the dolphins, dying slowly and painfully, the fishermen walking over them. I wanted to run out, to close my eyes. However, at this moment I felt sorry, but this time for myself. How hypocritical am I to feel disturbed by the cruelty of the fishermen, when tonight I am going to sit down on the table and enjoy a beef steak as if everything was alright. Is not the cow
The Oscar winning documentary film “The Cove”, directed by Louie Psihoyos, exposes the annual massacre of 23,000 small cetaceans in the National Park Taiji, Japan. Even though the trade of dolphins whether using them alive for entertainment purposes is unethical and selling their toxic meat is dangerous for the health, the Japanese authorities are supporting it with all possible means. The Japanese government is not only preventing any publicity about the dolphin slaughter, but it is also bribing the International Whaling Committee, which is supposed to control the trade of cetaceans and protect the rights of the marine mammals. Consequently, the crew of volunteers led by the ex-dolphin trainer and current animal rights activist Ric O’Barry is prevented from legally filming the fisher men at Taiji. “Armed” with sophisticated technology, the volunteers risk their safety, and despite the fishermen harassing them, and the police following them one step behind, successfully document the brutal killing of the dolphins.
Every single scene in the documentary “The Cove” is overwhelming. One after the other the facts about the dolphin slaughter add up to a truth which is difficult to accept. A wide range of human arrogance, cruelty, and irresponsibility flourishes in this beautiful, almost magic National Park in Japan. Throughout the film, I felt angry, sad, feeling sorry for the helpless dolphins until the scene where the director shows the actual killing taking place. The scenes were so disturbing: the water colored bright red from the dolphin’s blood, the dolphins, dying slowly and painfully, the fishermen walking over them. I wanted to run out, to close my eyes. However, at this moment I felt sorry, but this time for myself. How hypocritical am I to feel disturbed by the cruelty of the fishermen, when tonight I am going to sit down on the table and enjoy a beef steak as if everything was alright. Is not the cow