Triumph of THE COVE?

Forget awards. Save lives.

First-time filmmaker Louie Psihoyos teamed with activist Ric O’Barry to make THE COVE, a front-runner for this year’s Academy Award for Best Documentary. And while I am certain they’d love to cradle Oscar®, their mission was to save dolphins from their watery grave. For now, they can chalk up a partial victory. According to a National Geographic report, the Japanese town of Taiji — featured in THE COVE — has suspended its brutal, seasonal slaughter of the marine mammals… for one week. Of course, this is a bit like Ron Jeremy declaring celibacy for a week, yet is still proves  the power of movies and, more importantly, the influence of impassioned movie-goers. The attention raised by the documentary and the ire inspired amongst audiences has proved too great for officials to ignore. But for those who care about the cause, please don’t feather your beds with laurels. (They’re itchy.) Let this serve as provocation to become even more vocal, more involved. You may never be nominated for an award yourself, but you’ll always have the honor of successfully(?) combating a Cetacean holocaust.

Click here to eavesdrop on my extended conversation with Louie Psihoyos in which we discuss global ethics, apex predators and tainted meat.