Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, My Octopus Teacher is a 2020 documentary film which released on 7th September 2020. Well, if you are wondering what to watch after a tiring day of work, stream this refreshing nature-documentary on Netflix. But, this is not your regular documentary, it is one of a kind. When we see two species, completely different from each other, connecting and bonding in a way that is beyond explanation, based on sheer love, we become a part of it unknowingly.
Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed have put in so much effort into My Octopus Teacher that it is visible. The imagery and emotions are so strong that the viewers can almost find themself underwater with the protagonist(Craig Foster) while he interacts with the octopus. We have had documentaries portraying the relationship between underwater creatures and humans earlier. But, in this film, the viewers are demonstrated the intricacies of the underwater nature by Craig and his relationship with the octopus.
Take a look at the amazing trailer of My Octopus Teacher:
What is it about?
There are times in human lives when we lose passion for the things we love the most. We are into a dark period, depression and anxiety hitting us every other day. This is what happened with Craig Foster, who had lost his passion for filmmaking and was looking for something to make him feel better, what we call ‘therapy’. The story is told from Foster’s first-person narrative. We are taken to Western Cape of South Africa, where Foster spent a great number of days during his childhood. Craig loved diving deep into the chilly waters of Western Cape and believed it soothed his mind.
One fine day while diving, he notices a female octopus “covered with an armour of rocks and shells”. Craig starts visiting the female octopus’ den every day. The octopus soon realizes that Craig is not a threat to her and they became great friends. Well, this documentary does makes us recognise how intelligent a creature octopuses are. From here on we experience an epic love story between a human and an octopus, which involves hunting, feeding and dodging predators.
Who is in it?
The singular cast of this nature documentary is Craig Foster. He tells his own story about his close and “unusual friendship with an octopus”. Craig’s first dive was at the age of 3 and since then Craig and the ocean became best of friends.