The Cove: Learn More Film on Taiji dolphin slaughters to compete at Sundance
Dolphins are dying, whales are disappearing, and the oceans are growing sick. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists led by Ric O'Barry, the man behind Flipper.
It began on Nov. 30, 2005, as a full-page, award-winning Japan Times feature by Boyd Harnell, headlined "Secret dolphin slaughter defies protests.
Now, after sparking widespread outrage over the annual slaughter of some 2,500 dolphins in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, a graphic film made there in secret has been selected as one of 16 finalists ˜ from 879 submissions ˜ in the Documentaries Competition at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.
Titled "The Cove," the full-length film directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos and featuring former "Flipper" trainer Ric O'Barry of the Save Japan Dolphins coalition, will have its premiere at the festival before entering worldwide distribution.
In addition to showing the savage, government-sanctioned killing of dolphins herded into a small cove via cameras and underwater microphones, the film highlights the dangers facing those who eat the mammals' meat.
The film festival will be held from Jan. 15 to 25 in Park City, Utah.
