Screenings of ‘the Cove’ in Japan Are Canceled

[depakid]

Movie theaters in Japan have canceled the opening screenings of “The Cove,” a documentary that shows the clandestine killing of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, Reuters reported. The film, directed by the photographer Louie Psihoyos and winner of this year’s Oscar for best documentary feature, has recently been protested by Japanese groups that defend the practice of dolphin and whale hunting as part of the country’s cultural tradition.

Cinemart Theaters in Tokyo and Osaka have canceled screenings scheduled for this month out of fear for the safety of moviegoers, after receiving threatening phone calls and warnings of protests from groups that consider the film “anti-Japan,” said a spokeswoman for the film’s Japanese distributor, Unplugged. Other than a showing at the Tokyo International Film Festival last October, the Japanese public has not yet been given an opportunity to see the movie.

“It’s not right that a small minority of extremists could take this right away from them,” Ric O’Barry, a former dolphin trainer featured in the film, said in a statement, adding, “To do so is a clear threat to democracy.

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/movies/07arts-SCREENINGSOF_BRF.html

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. You can watch 'The Cove ' online for free at this link

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 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”

But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day – led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry 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. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.

But in a remote, glistening cove, 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.

Undeterred, O’Barry joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Oceanic Preservation Society to get to the truth of what’s really going on in the cove and why it matters to everyone in the world. With the local Chief of Police hot on their trail and strong-arm fishermen keeping tabs on them, they will recruit an “Ocean’s Eleven”-style team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers who will carry out an undercover operation to photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would have them jailed. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope.

The Cove is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.


Watch it here

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cove/

[FedUpWithIt All]

2. The toxic mercury level discussion is likely the reason some do not want this documentary seen

It is easier to keep people in the dark and try to make it appear to be political and an attack on a culture than it is to explain to the masses why their government was knowingly poisoning school children with mercury contaminated meat.

[Nihil]

3. Not to mention the businesses ...

... i.e., the ones making profits from knowingly poisoning school children
with mercury contaminated meat.

Can't have nasty truths like that getting out to the public.

[Kolesar]

4. Consumers don't want dolphin flesh, so they label it as "whale meat"

And yes, you are correct, it is 3000 ppm mercury.

[hatrack]

5. Shocking, I tell you!

:eyes: