My Octopus Teacher

Not just a documentary (9 January 2021) Why I watched it? Because I love octopuses and the sea. Why I gave it a 10? Because it was something more than just a documentary. It was a personal experience. It got evident from the start. Great captures and the personal storytelling of Foster along with accurate and calming music did it: I immediately relaxed and put myself in his shoes. The rest was history. Amazing information conveyed along with great scenes and meanings. I liked the format. Most documentaries focusing on animals calm me, but this format was just something else. It was closer to…

a profoundly moving, visually stunning documentary that elevates a simple premise into a transformative emotional experience. It follows South African filmmaker Craig Foster as he returns daily to a cold-water kelp forest near Cape Town, slowly forming an intimate, almost meditative bond with a wild octopus he encounters there. The film’s greatest strength is how it intertwines awe-inspiring natural observation with a deeply personal story of burnout and healing. Foster’s encounters with the octopus become a quiet school of life: through watching her ingenuity, vulnerability and resilience,…

I reckon this could be my favourite natural history feature, as despite a slight element of sentimentality, it's really quite fascinating. It all follows the relationship between accomplished diver and photographer Craig Foster and an octopus. He is swimming when he encounters this young creature hiding in it's den. Approaching it, gingerly, he is surprised when it reaches out a tentacle (he calls them arms) and begins to stroke his hand. He can feel the pressure from it's individually controlled suckers but senses there is no danger here, as she appears to sense from him, too. What now…