The Cove (2009)

Every year in Taiji, Japan, dolphins and other cetaceans are driven into a small bay where the attractive ones are culled to be sent to marine parks all of the world and the rest are then indiscriminately slaughtered. A group of activists used hidden cameras and microphones to record the otherwise secretive practice. The practice is undoubtedly barbaric (the film does not hold back in graphically showing the event), especially as the dolphin meat that is recovered from the murdered animals has an inordinately high amount of mercury, cadmium, DDT, and other poisons and shouldn’t be eaten, but the way it is presented does feel a bit like Westerners preaching to another culture. There is throwaway moment in the film that touches on the fact that without places like Sea World paying big money for the culled mammals, the hunt probably wouldn’t happen. While ending the hunt is a noble goal, it seems focusing closer to home to end the inhumane treatment of more intelligent creatures works better in the theory of cleaning up your own backyard before preaching to others on how to clean theirs.  

Oscar Win: Best Documentary, Features