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My Octopus Teacher

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

Director

Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed

Year

Genre

Box Office

N/A

Production

The Sea Change Project,Off the Fence

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 11 wins & 14 nominations total

Homepage

https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007

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Self - Host & Founder of Sea Change Project

Self - Son of Craig Foster

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I just thought, "I wonder if anybody
could ever track anything underwater?" - My Octopus Teacher

I just thought, "I wonder if anybody could ever track a...

This animal has spent millions of years
learning to be impossible to find. - My Octopus Teacher

This animal has spent millions of years learning to be impos...

And that was very frustrating at first,
so difficult to discern. - My Octopus Teacher

And that was very frustrating at first, so difficult to disc...

What's the difference
between octopus tracks - My Octopus Teacher

What's the difference between octopus tracks

It's like being a detective. - My Octopus Teacher

It's like being a detective.

And then I started to... - My Octopus Teacher

And then I started to...

So I'm looking at kills. I'm looking
at little marks, diggings in the sand, - My Octopus Teacher

So I'm looking at kills. I'm looking at little mar...

Finally, after looking for her
for a week, day after day, - My Octopus Teacher

Finally, after looking for her for a week, day after day,

A human friend, like, waving
and saying, "Hi, I'm excited to see you." - My Octopus Teacher

A human friend, like, waving and saying, "Hi, I'm ...

And I could feel it,
like from one minute to the next, - My Octopus Teacher

And I could feel it, like from one minute to the next,

And then I just wanted to keep still,
so I held onto a rock. - My Octopus Teacher

And then I just wanted to keep still, so I held onto a rock.

I'd been underwater
for quite a long time, - My Octopus Teacher

I'd been underwater for quite a long time,

But she didn't. She just rode
on my hand right to the surface. - My Octopus Teacher

But she didn't. She just rode on my hand right to the s...

[gentle orchestral music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[gentle orchestral music playing]

There I was, just staring into the eyes
of this incredible creature. - My Octopus Teacher

There I was, just staring into the eyes of this incredible c...

It was difficult to imagine at first - My Octopus Teacher

It was difficult to imagine at first

Why would a wild animal, doing its thing, - My Octopus Teacher

Why would a wild animal, doing its thing,

I think quite stimulating
for that huge intelligence. - My Octopus Teacher

I think quite stimulating for that huge intelligence.

Somehow, she realizes
this thing is not dangerous, - My Octopus Teacher

Somehow, she realizes this thing is not dangerous,

And perhaps it does give you
some strange octopus level of joy. - My Octopus Teacher

And perhaps it does give you some strange octopus level of j...

When you have that connection
with an animal - My Octopus Teacher

When you have that connection with an animal

The boundaries between her and I
seemed to dissolve. - My Octopus Teacher

The boundaries between her and I seemed to dissolve.

All I could do at the time
was just think of her. - My Octopus Teacher

All I could do at the time was just think of her.

I mean,
it just became a bit of an obsession. - My Octopus Teacher

I mean, it just became a bit of an obsession.

What goes through her mind?
What's she thinking? - My Octopus Teacher

What goes through her mind? What's she thinking?

She just ignited my curiosity in a way
that I had not experienced before. - My Octopus Teacher

She just ignited my curiosity in a way that I had not experi...

It's very useful to come back home - My Octopus Teacher

It's very useful to come back home

You can compare her intelligence
to a cat or a dog - My Octopus Teacher

You can compare her intelligence to a cat or a dog

According to the literature, octopus
are supposed to be a nocturnal species. - My Octopus Teacher

According to the literature, octopus are supposed to be a no...

It was a little bit scary in the dark. - My Octopus Teacher

It was a little bit scary in the dark.

I couldn't find her.
She wasn't in her den. - My Octopus Teacher

I couldn't find her. She wasn't in her den.

Something just made me
veer slightly to the left. - My Octopus Teacher

Something just made me veer slightly to the left.

And there she is... - My Octopus Teacher

And there she is...

Using her arm like this strange weapon. - My Octopus Teacher

Using her arm like this strange weapon.

Super dangerous
out in the deeper forest at night, - My Octopus Teacher

Super dangerous out in the deeper forest at night,

The first instinct
is to try and scare the sharks away. - My Octopus Teacher

The first instinct is to try and scare the sharks away.

She was out of the den,
moving around near the edge of the forest. - My Octopus Teacher

She was out of the den, moving around near the edge of the f...

Body was slightly hunched forward
and was following the scent trail. - My Octopus Teacher

Body was slightly hunched forward and was following the scen...

And the next minute, the shark is
actually clamped down on one of her arms, - My Octopus Teacher

And the next minute, the shark is actually clamped down on o...

[gasps, sighs] - My Octopus Teacher

And thank God she managed
to get really deep in that crack. - My Octopus Teacher

And thank God she managed to get really deep in that crack.

She was moving very badly,
slowly, very weak. - My Octopus Teacher

She was moving very badly, slowly, very weak.

She's bleeding. That smell's in the water. - My Octopus Teacher

She's bleeding. That smell's in the water.

I thought about helping her back
physically to the den. - My Octopus Teacher

I thought about helping her back physically to the den.

What was gonna happen to her or if this
would make her weak and vulnerable, - My Octopus Teacher

What was gonna happen to her or if this would make her weak ...

As if somehow what happened to her
had happened to me in some strange way. - My Octopus Teacher

As if somehow what happened to her had happened to me in som...

And then this almost felt,
psychologically, like I was... - My Octopus Teacher

And then this almost felt, psychologically, like I was...

You start thinking about your own death
and your own vulnerability, - My Octopus Teacher

You start thinking about your own death and your own vulnera...

I hadn't been a person that was
overly sentimental towards animals before. - My Octopus Teacher

I hadn't been a person that was overly sentimental towa...

She was teaching me
to become sensitized to the other. - My Octopus Teacher

She was teaching me to become sensitized to the other.

A scary feeling,
going into the water early the next day. - My Octopus Teacher

A scary feeling, going into the water early the next day.

I was very relieved
that she was alive, breathing. - My Octopus Teacher

I was very relieved that she was alive, breathing.

She's so weak that she can't make
those vibrant colors of a healthy octopus, - My Octopus Teacher

She's so weak that she can't make those vibrant co...

You are crossing a line - My Octopus Teacher

You are crossing a line

I don't think it really helped. - My Octopus Teacher

I don't think it really helped.

I was just checking every day
to see if she was okay, - My Octopus Teacher

I was just checking every day to see if she was okay,

The big relief came a week or so later, - My Octopus Teacher

The big relief came a week or so later,

And then the most amazing thing,
to see this... - My Octopus Teacher

And then the most amazing thing, to see this...

Tiny little miniature,
perfect miniature arm... - My Octopus Teacher

Tiny little miniature, perfect miniature arm...

And it gave me
a strange sort of confidence - My Octopus Teacher

And it gave me a strange sort of confidence

My relationship with people,
with humans was changing. - My Octopus Teacher

My relationship with people, with humans was changing.

My son, at this stage, was very interested
in everything underwater. - My Octopus Teacher

My son, at this stage, was very interested in everything und...

He'd seen her. He'd met her. - My Octopus Teacher

He'd seen her. He'd met her.

The arm becomes pretty functional, - My Octopus Teacher

The arm becomes pretty functional,

And then, slowly, as the arm grew,
she grew her confidence back. - My Octopus Teacher

And then, slowly, as the arm grew, she grew her confidence b...

Eventually, about 100 days later,
that arm had fully regrown. - My Octopus Teacher

Eventually, about 100 days later, that arm had fully regrown...

An amazing feeling to think
that this animal is capable of that - My Octopus Teacher

An amazing feeling to think that this animal is capable of t...

After a while, she was just carrying on
with her normal activities, - My Octopus Teacher

After a while, she was just carrying on with her normal acti...

It was a nice, calm, clear day. - My Octopus Teacher

It was a nice, calm, clear day.

The problem when you're a crab, - My Octopus Teacher

The problem when you're a crab,

And the crab seems to sense her - My Octopus Teacher

And the crab seems to sense her

And then she waits and hides. - My Octopus Teacher

And then she waits and hides.

And then the crab thinks,
"Okay, everything's all right," - My Octopus Teacher

And then the crab thinks, "Okay, everything's all ...

[dramatic music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[dramatic music playing]

She's quite a messy eater. - My Octopus Teacher

She's quite a messy eater.

Just a mass of them
sort of overwhelm her, - My Octopus Teacher

Just a mass of them sort of overwhelm her,

Not that long in the future, - My Octopus Teacher

Not that long in the future,

She initially adopted the same method
to crab hunting with lobster. - My Octopus Teacher

She initially adopted the same method to crab hunting with l...

I'm thinking now,
"She's definitely gonna catch this one." - My Octopus Teacher

I'm thinking now, "She's definitely gonna cat...

And then, a couple of weeks later, - My Octopus Teacher

And then, a couple of weeks later,

Using me as part of her hunting strategy. - My Octopus Teacher

Using me as part of her hunting strategy.

This is an animal that is strategizing - My Octopus Teacher

This is an animal that is strategizing

A lot of her intelligence is built - My Octopus Teacher

A lot of her intelligence is built

All the mollusks she is capturing,
they're quite easy to catch, - My Octopus Teacher

All the mollusks she is capturing, they're quite easy t...

Now, how the hell
does she kill and eat them? - My Octopus Teacher

Now, how the hell does she kill and eat them?

At the base of all those arms, - My Octopus Teacher

At the base of all those arms,

But some of these mollusks will only relax - My Octopus Teacher

But some of these mollusks will only relax

She basically has to do geometry - My Octopus Teacher

She basically has to do geometry

This is high-level
invertebrate intelligence. - My Octopus Teacher

This is high-level invertebrate intelligence.

Her ability to learn and remember details. - My Octopus Teacher

Her ability to learn and remember details.

My Octopus Teacher poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed

Writer: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed

Production: The Sea Change Project,Off the Fence

Genre: documentary

Year: 2020

MetaScore: 82/100

ImdbRating: 8.1

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 07 Sep 2020

Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 11 wins & 14 nominations total

Homepage: https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007

Also watch: Crip Camp, Sweet and Lowdown, In the Heights, The White Tiger, Days of the Bagnold Summer, Summertime, Going Away, The Fog of War, Time, Capital in the Twenty First Century, The Monolith Monsters, Two Distant Strangers