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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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Explore 255 Clips

And it hit me
how she was teaching me so much. - My Octopus Teacher

And it hit me how she was teaching me so much.

You just can't wait to get up in
the morning, 'cause there's so much to do - My Octopus Teacher

You just can't wait to get up in the morning, 'cau...

People ask, "Why are you going
to the same place every day?" - My Octopus Teacher

People ask, "Why are you going to the same place every ...

So when these thousands of threads
going off from the octopus - My Octopus Teacher

So when these thousands of threads going off from the octopu...

And now I know how the helmet shell
is connected to the urchin - My Octopus Teacher

And now I know how the helmet shell is connected to the urch...

And as I draw all these lines, - My Octopus Teacher

And as I draw all these lines,

I really could feel it. That big creature. - My Octopus Teacher

I really could feel it. That big creature.

It was thousands of times more awake
and intelligent than I am. - My Octopus Teacher

It was thousands of times more awake and intelligent than I ...

This is like a giant underwater brain
operating over millions of years. - My Octopus Teacher

This is like a giant underwater brain operating over million...

Burnt in my memory, this, like, huge shark
just suddenly approaching her. - My Octopus Teacher

Burnt in my memory, this, like, huge shark just suddenly app...

Then you just saw the shark swimming
on the periphery, picking up her scent. - My Octopus Teacher

Then you just saw the shark swimming on the periphery, picki...

Nightmare happening again." - My Octopus Teacher

Nightmare happening again."

She jets up in the canopy, - My Octopus Teacher

She jets up in the canopy,

All the smell's on the kelp, - My Octopus Teacher

All the smell's on the kelp,

[heavy breathing] - My Octopus Teacher

[heavy breathing]

I just, you know...
almost can't believe my eyes. - My Octopus Teacher

I just, you know... almost can't believe my eyes.

But the problem is, of course,
she's gotta come back. - My Octopus Teacher

But the problem is, of course, she's gotta come back.

And then, I see her, - My Octopus Teacher

And then, I see her,

And then folding her arms - My Octopus Teacher

And then folding her arms

And in that moment, - My Octopus Teacher

And in that moment,

And it's like,
"Okay, now, this is too crazy." - My Octopus Teacher

And it's like, "Okay, now, this is too crazy."...

Takes a few seconds to figure out, - My Octopus Teacher

Takes a few seconds to figure out,

Drops the remaining shells - My Octopus Teacher

Drops the remaining shells

The shark comes, does one pass, - My Octopus Teacher

The shark comes, does one pass,

How she can think that quickly
and make those life-and-death decisions, - My Octopus Teacher

How she can think that quickly and make those life-and-death...

I was around for a good
80 percent of her life. - My Octopus Teacher

I was around for a good 80 percent of her life.

But I couldn't help thinking, - My Octopus Teacher

But I couldn't help thinking,

Here's a highly antisocial animal
playing with fish. - My Octopus Teacher

Here's a highly antisocial animal playing with fish.

Oh, then she completely
lost interest in the fish, - My Octopus Teacher

Oh, then she completely lost interest in the fish,

And that was the last time
we had physical contact. - My Octopus Teacher

And that was the last time we had physical contact.

If I think back, - My Octopus Teacher

If I think back,

Go down and whoa, - My Octopus Teacher

Go down and whoa,

It's very, very rare to see
two octopus close together. - My Octopus Teacher

It's very, very rare to see two octopus close together.

And then seeing that both animals
are pretty relaxed - My Octopus Teacher

And then seeing that both animals are pretty relaxed

By this stage, I knew quite well
the stages of an octopus's life. - My Octopus Teacher

By this stage, I knew quite well the stages of an octopus�...

So while I was very excited
that this mating was beginning, - My Octopus Teacher

So while I was very excited that this mating was beginning,

She wasn't coming out of that den. - My Octopus Teacher

She wasn't coming out of that den.

The eggs are laid right in the back,
in the dark. - My Octopus Teacher

The eggs are laid right in the back, in the dark.

I just keep going every day
and just check. - My Octopus Teacher

I just keep going every day and just check.

I mean, it struck home so hard for me. - My Octopus Teacher

I mean, it struck home so hard for me.

All those eggs hatched. - My Octopus Teacher

All those eggs hatched.

And the next thing I saw,
she's washed out the den, barely alive. - My Octopus Teacher

And the next thing I saw, she's washed out the den, bar...

[gentle, moving music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[gentle, moving music playing]

A part of me just wanted to hold her
and chase them away. - My Octopus Teacher

A part of me just wanted to hold her and chase them away.

The next day... - My Octopus Teacher

The next day...

And just took her away,
you know, into the misty forest. - My Octopus Teacher

And just took her away, you know, into the misty forest.

Often, I go to the place of her main den. - My Octopus Teacher

Often, I go to the place of her main den.

[sighs] - My Octopus Teacher

It was a relief, because the intensity
of going every day and tracking her, um... - My Octopus Teacher

It was a relief, because the intensity of going every day an...

And... and it was all so taxing, in a way. - My Octopus Teacher

And... and it was all so taxing, in a way.

[delicate, reflective music plays] - My Octopus Teacher

[delicate, reflective music plays]

But underneath that, - My Octopus Teacher

But underneath that,

[ethereal vocal music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[ethereal vocal music playing]

I was getting so much from the wild,
and I could actually now give. - My Octopus Teacher

I was getting so much from the wild, and I could actually no...

He's like a little marine biologist now.
He knows so much. - My Octopus Teacher

He's like a little marine biologist now. He knows so mu...

And as he gets older,
he seems to want to do it more and more. - My Octopus Teacher

And as he gets older, he seems to want to do it more and mor...

To see that develop, - My Octopus Teacher

To see that develop,

an incredible confidence, - My Octopus Teacher

an incredible confidence,

A few months later, after she'd died, - My Octopus Teacher

A few months later, after she'd died,

[gentle piano music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[gentle piano music playing]

They have up to half a million young.
A handful survive. - My Octopus Teacher

They have up to half a million young. A handful survive.

We kind of imagined
that it might be one of her young. - My Octopus Teacher

We kind of imagined that it might be one of her young.

And it was joyous.
It was like, "Well, there she is." - My Octopus Teacher

And it was joyous. It was like, "Well, there she is.&qu...

She'd made me realize - My Octopus Teacher

She'd made me realize

You go into that water... - My Octopus Teacher

You go into that water...

You slowly start to care
about all the animals, - My Octopus Teacher

You slowly start to care about all the animals,

You realize
that every one is very important. - My Octopus Teacher

You realize that every one is very important.

To sense how vulnerable
these wild animals' lives are, - My Octopus Teacher

To sense how vulnerable these wild animals' lives are,

My relationship with the sea forest
and its creatures deepens... - My Octopus Teacher

My relationship with the sea forest and its creatures deepen...

You're in touch with this wild place,
and it's speaking to you. - My Octopus Teacher

You're in touch with this wild place, and it's spe...

[orchestral music grows] - My Octopus Teacher

[orchestral music grows]

I fell in love with her - My Octopus Teacher

I fell in love with her

What she taught me was to feel - My Octopus Teacher

What she taught me was to feel

That you're part of this place,
not a visitor. - My Octopus Teacher

That you're part of this place, not a visitor.

[ethereal vocal music playing] - My Octopus Teacher

[ethereal vocal music playing]

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