The Cove: film as activism at Sundance

With a team from Save The Waves, I recently spent a week at the Sundance Film Festival to promote our three films: All Points South, Pulp, Poo and Perfection and Lost Jewel of the Atlantic. But the highlight and show-stealer of the trip was our time spent with the team of The Cove, an incredible activist documentary film about saving dolphins from captivity and slaughter in Japan. You MUST see this film. It won Audience Award at Sundance, what I think is the most important award of the festival. 

The Cove is a spy thriller / horror / comedy / drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat and also change your life. The producers and filmmakers are now wanted in Japan for trespassing and other trumped up charges meant to silence their important dolphin-saving message. I had the fortune of connecting with the stars, producers and director here in Chile during the International Whaling Conference in June 2008 where they conducted many of the sit-down interviews that are in the film. However, this film is NOT just a bunch of talking heads. It is action, activism and inspiration. This is FILM AS ACTIVISM, not film promoting nor glorifying activism. It will change your life in a positive way, so look for it soon at a theater near you! 

The musician known as Sting of the rock band The Police was at the screening we went to, and the rumor is that he was so moved by the film that he is now traveling to Japan with the director and star of the film to help promote their dolphin-saving message and expose to the world the tragedy that dolphins suffer there. At all 5 screenings of this film at Sundance, there were numerous standing ovations after the shows! 

As dolphins die, so does freedom. Heed the warning.

The Cove is a production of OPS, Oceanic Preservation Society.

All images in this post courtesy of The Cove movie and OPS.