The Cove

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the five dolphins that played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.” But his close relationship with those dolphins led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. He came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again.

But in a remote, glistening cove off the coast of Taiji, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling — and the consequences are so dangerous to human health — they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.

This provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery captured the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance, Hot Docs, Sydney and Seattle Film Festivals.