Dolphin Once Again : "Behind THE COVE" Brought Huge Response

As reported early this month, a Japanese lady filmmaker had battled her hard way to create a film to challenge the Academy Award-winning film "The Cove". The film was entered in the documentary division of the 39th Montreal World Film Festival and brought sensational response, reported Sankei Shimbun September 5.

"Behind THE COVE" projects live scenes of dolphin drive fishing in Taiji and was screened for the first time in a local theater September evening. Reactions from the audience were on whole affirmative to the way whaling is done in Japan. "I've always had a negative image of Japan's whaling but this film made me understand why they continue whaling", said one; "Oh, how awful they are - the Sea Shepherd....", exclaimed another.

The showing time was from 21:30 into midnight local time. The audience was rather moderate - dozens or so, but Ms. Yagi's veteran translator said the audience posed more questions over the film than in any other occasions she recalled.

The after-the-show QA was limited due to the lateness of the hour and Ms. Yagi was encircled outside the theater by a number of people asking questions.

As earlier mentioned, this film was produced to counterbalance the widespread negative image of whaling in Japan prompted by the Academy Award-winning full-length documentary "The Cove" (2010).

A Canadian man who had seen "The Cove"  in advance commented of the Yagi film thus: "Her film clearly shows how erroneous is the world 'The Cove' tries to depict. Do those anti-whaling activists still come to Taiji?"

In the Yagi film is included an interview with the members of the anti-whaling group "Sea Shepherd". Another Canadian confided he had had no knowledge of how dreadful Sea Shepherd is in their attitude toward the people in Taiji.

A Japanese with Canadian husband said she had wanted to have her husband see the picture to witness the reality, so that her family would no longer be divided in opinion over Japan's whaling.

The next showing will be on September 7 at 19:00 local time. Ms.Yagi anticipates a flood of anti-whalers with plenty of critical questions. She hopes, however, her film will eventually convince them what Japan does and why.