'The Cove' to be screened for 1st time to public in Japan

Wednesday 21st October, 07:19 AM JST

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Stonefish at 08:19 AM JST - 21st October

Indeed. If the dolphin meat is so toxic, why isn't it banned from sale? Are there no health standards and enforcers in this place? Scary! On another note, when is the animation version going to be made? That is required to get the message across.
ben4short at 08:35 AM JST - 21st October

Stonefish, you're really out of it, man. The Cove manga predates the movie version by at least fifteen years. Where do you think Psihoyos and that Flipper flubber O'Barry originally got their idea from?
imacat at 08:37 AM JST - 21st October

Good to see that it is being shown. It is an interesting documentary.

The truth of the matter is that Japan has set itself up for this documentary to be made. If program makers in Japan decided to show more programming aimed at adults instead of the inane, childish rubbish that is broadcast every evening then we might see programs such as this documentary made by the Japanese themselves.

It's an interesting story and one that deserves to be told. Some people agree with the slaughter, others disagree... it's no big deal. What is a big deal is the ridiculous blue tarpaulins used by the locals to try to hide it. That's like a red rag to a bull. With that attitude of course someone is going to make a documentary.

In short, the lack of controversial documentaries on Japanese TV and the cover-up attitude of the local authorities have set the scene for this documentary to be made. Japanese program makes could have covered the story and given more weight to the local fishermen and their point of view but they didn't... presumably in Japan it's easier to make and broadcast stupid panel shows featuring childish "tarento".

Perhaps Japanese viewers don't like to be shown the uncomfortable side of their society which makes them question the social status-quo.

I watch a fair bit of Japanese TV and I rarely see anything which could be described as a controversial documentary. On the other hand, if you watch the BBC in the UK for example you could see a program such as "Slaughterhouse: The Task of Blood" which shows in gruesome detail what happens inside a slaughterhouse in the UK, and also the human dimension of the people who work there.
bgaudry at 09:04 AM JST - 21st October

Can just see all those Japanese lining up to see a movie about dolphins being slaughtered, when they could go watch Harry Potter instead.
S7ro9kGm3aQ at 10:13 AM JST - 21st October

Just let them get on with it folks. If J-peeps be wanting to munch on a goodly load of mercury, so be it.
sakurasuki at 12:29 PM JST - 21st October

Psihoyos is scheduled to hold a question-and-answer session with the audience after the screening in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills

I'm eager to wait further news when the authority making his arrest after the screening.
TOXIN at 12:41 PM JST - 21st October

i am sure, not every japanese agree with the killing for the sake of a local culture and some aquarium.

it good for japan public to know another side of an argument.
sakurasuki at 12:55 PM JST - 21st October

it good for japan public to know another side of an argument.

Glad that the Japanese have the alternative media to know about this issue beside the television.
Damien15 at 02:27 PM JST - 21st October

Hope the country stands firm against these wackos who have more "compassion" for animals that swim than for those that walk.

It's not the animals ability to run or swim, it's their ability to understand us and help. What other animal is being used to cure children with autism? None. If you were one of those fathers who's child smiled for the first time in presence of dolphins, could you stay silent to this mindless slughter?

There are so much we don't understand. There are countless stories of how they help us. Just read this for instance. http://www.waterplanetusa.com/research-autism.php There are much more. Just search autism and dolphins in google and see how many stories there are. Please understand, killing them is not that much differnet than killing humans.
sakurasuki at 03:21 PM JST - 21st October

Please understand, killing them is not that much differnet than killing humans.

So they can kill dolphin as long they don't sell it for human food consumption.
Osakadaz at 04:46 PM JST - 21st October

bet the idiot rightist groups will take interest in these screenings.
Damien15 at 04:52 PM JST - 21st October

So they can kill dolphin as long they don't sell it for human food consumption.

I'm no way saying that animals not possessing intelligence should be food. If it was up to me, we'd all be vegans. They feel the pain same way as we do. If we believe in "thou shall not kill", why not extending that courtesy to animals as well?

I think root idea of Japanese culture is "Don't do the things to others that you don't want to be done to yourself" isn't it? We sure don't want to live a life where we are trapped into a cove and slashed to death. They posses intelligence, they feel pain; they have culture and teach their children what they learned from their parents. Just because we can't understand them, doesn't give us the right to slaughter them.

I know this is controversial thing to say, but if you believe in Karma, it's not hard to believe that those slashed dolphins are carrying the souls of past time fisherman who killed dolphins in the past. Now they are getting slashed by their own grandchildren. What goes around comes around right? If I knew this for sure, wouldn't try hard to stop it.
Dilbert14 at 07:33 PM JST - 21st October

More people were killing and eating whales/dolphins in the past, less people are doing it now, nobody will do it in the future. Films like this will help future come sooner. More people are aware of this anchient practice, more people will protest and sooner it will stop. I want to thank the ones made the decision for this movie to be screened.
Tanabata0707 at 01:55 AM JST - 22nd October

This shameful, cruel and completely unnecessary practice is a disgrace for Japan. Let's hope that The Cove is screened widely and watched by many.

No country can justify such practices based on "tradition"...slavery was a tradition, women not being able to vote was a tradition, foot-binding was a tradition...no reasonable person today would condone such practices. Why this one?
Nessie at 02:16 AM JST - 22nd October

Should do a booming box office. The natives love slasher flicks.