There are moments in My Octopus Teacher where film maker and diver Foster talks so lovingly about the octopus he met in the kelp forest that it is reminiscent of the way people talk about their pets. It may feel a bit off putting at first but that's what is fascinating about My Octopus Teacher - it forces you to consider that we may have the ability to see other animals in the ways we see dogs and cats, and that our relationships to animals and the natural world is a construct.
Octopuses (the correct pluralization) are weird, to us anyway who are used to other sorts of animals. What this film does is help us see past the weirdness and into a way of appreciating this species for what it is, an intelligent, potentially playful and caring, creature who, yes, is also a predator. But aren't we all? It is easy to see Foster's relationship, especially as he tears up over it, as strange but it really is not that different from the relationships we have with other animals. We're just not used to seeing it with non-mammals.
And My Octopus Teacher is also beautiful to watch. The kelp forest where the titular creature lives is gorgeous and the camera captures it so wonderfully. My Octopus Teacher is a thing of beauty to watch and gives us a new appreciation of the beaut of octopuses themselves. It is hard not to just get completely wrapped up in this delightful little story of connection.
My Octopus Teacher
Starring: Craig Foster, Octopus
Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed
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