In association with At Thresholds, unearth, expand, and complicate your understanding of our entangled relationship with other species. Join us over consecutive Sundays for screenings in this vibrant documentary series selected by exhibition curator Moya Lawson.
My Octopus Teacher (2010)
Directed by Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed
My Octopus Teacher is a feature documentary following the story of Craig Foster who, suffering from a loss of purpose, begins a daily diving regimen in the freezing kelp forests at the tip of South Africa in order to re-energize himself.
What he discovers below the water’s surface is a deep connection to the natural world in the form of an unusually curious octopus who becomes a healer and grounding force in Foster’s life. This beautiful record of the octopus’s entire life—something seldom achieved in the wild, let alone underwater—was shot over a full year and explores the habits and personality of a strange, undulating creature. Beyond intelligent, dextrous and resilient, the cephalopod shares her secret world with Foster as they develop a touching bond. The octopus shows him things that have never been recorded by science or on film and ultimately redefines Craig’s understanding of the creatures we share our world with.
Watch the trailer here.
See the other documentaries screening as part of our series here.
