Hot Docs: The Cove

One of the best and most powerful doc I have ever seen. It is about how Ric O'Barry, one of the best at dolphin training in the 60s, made a TV show called Flipper, which he used 10 yrs to created a whole industry of dolphin shows at marines. But when his beloved frd flipper committed "suicide" because of the stress living at the marine, Ric finally woke up and realized what he had done. He had put over 23000 dolpines each year to being slaughtered. Each year, in Taija Japan, fishermen will trap dolphins that pass by the area and let the marine trainers come and pick the best ones and be sent all over the world while all the rest will be killed on the spot. But because dolphin meat is not the most attractive thing there is, they were disgusted as other more expensive meat to be send all over the country. Because of the industrial dumping and pollution, and because dolphins are at the upper level of the food chain, they have become living toxic dumpsites when they eat smaller polluted fish, and anyone who eat the dolphin meats (which they don't know about), will get high level of mercury poisoning. And it was also given out as charity to school children as free lunch all over Japan. Which has the most hurtful effects.

Ric then used the next 35 years of his life trying to right a wrong, and gathered a passionate team of ppl who really do care about the ocean and the dolphins to uncover this hidden secert. It really is a Ocean's 11 real life thriller, where they had to go undercover, tailed by cops day and night, watching their every move, being provoked by locals so they can do something stupid to kick them in jail... is one crazy ride...

I think what really touched me in this film is that the team really put everything on the line, that if they were caught, they will be in jail, or even killed and lose everything. Their passion for doing something that seem so "silly" to save a bunch of sea animals makes me believe how one small group of ppl can make a difference in the world. And makes me believe once again the moving power of cinema, where you will not get the some shock by just hearing the news. But when you see the visuals and the cries of the dying dolphins, it has such impact that shatters your heart to pieces...
A MUST WATCH FILM!!! Can't wait for it to come out in Aug throughout the city.




Go to The Cove: What Can I DO to see how you can help and take part!!!

And be careful not to eat too much tuna or salmon.. they are full of mercury as well...
see the list some of the "safer" fish below

Eat only sustainable clean seafood.
Good fish

Arctic Char
Barramundi
Catfish
Clams
Cod (Pacific)
Crab (Dungeness, Stone)
Halibut
Herring
Lobster (Spiny)
Mahi mahi (US)
Mussels
Oysters
Pollock
Salmon (Alaska wild)
Sardines
Scallops
Squid
Sturgeon (farmed)
Tilapia
trout

Bad fish
Chilean Seabass
Cod (Atlantic)
Crab (King)
Flounder
Groupers
Halibut
Lobster (Caribbean)
Mahi mahi (Imported)
Marlin
Monkfish
Orange Roughy
Rockfish
Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)
Shark
Shrimp (imported farmed or wild)
Snapper (red)
Sturgeon (imported, wild)
Swordfish
Tuna
Walleye pike
Yellowtail