Madeline
My Octopus Teacher is the story of a relationship between man and an underwater world creature. It is the story of a connection that is unlikely and the trust an unlikely creature can put in a man. This is a story that changed one man’s relationship with others all through developing a relationship with an octopus who teaches him the rules of nature. It is a visually beautiful documentary film exploring the world under the sea unlike many others out there.
Premise of My Octopus Teacher
After a long career of a documentary movie maker, Craig Foster, is looking to take a break. During his break he decides to explore the kelp forest in an ocean near his house. He has this instinct to go in as he is, without a tank and without a wetsuit causing to hold his breath. He has a plan to be as close to nature as possible during this exploration. Without having a project in mind, he goes back to his love of film and start filming this underwater world. And that is when he meets an amazing creature for the first time. An octopus who will change his life.
As his daily underwater exploration continues, Foster wonders what would happen if he films this same octopus everyday. As he films this underwater world creature he starts to also make contact with her. Day after day, they form some sort of friendship and she begins to trust him. With this trust he is able to have intimate moments where this particular octopus is able to be playful and bring him into a world he was not planning to witness.
Because he spends over a year with this same octopus, he is able to live through some natural but difficult times with her. He is with her as she is hunted numerous times and learns how to defend herself. He is with her when she hunts. He witnesses her figuring out what to do when others attempting to steal her food or she has a difficult time catching her food. He is able to witness her laying eggs in the presence of a wondering male octopus that eventually leads to her death. The time he spends with her allows him to witness some amazing learnings that not only humans go through but nature does as well.
Is My Octopus Teacher Fake?
In looking into this beautiful movie, I could not ignore the claims that it was fake. I could not imagine that this could be fake as I am witnessing it with my own eyes. The claims are coming from people thinking the story of a man and octopus finding joy in one another is what is bogus. That with plenty of footage along with great editing and storytelling skills, just about any story could be made to be true in documentary form.
But, I will argue, that this could be true for any documentary, any news story, any Instagram profile, anything that is said to show “real life.” Many types of “real” content has some level of editing intended to spin a specific tale. For me, the story was not as intriguing as the beautiful footage, and so I must say, it does not make a difference to me whether My Octopus Teacher fake story is true.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the narrative, My Octopus Teacher is a visually beautiful film that captures the creatures who live in the Atlantic Ocean off the South African coast. It shows not only the beauty of an octopus but the symbiotic world of the whole underwater world. It does not matter if My Octopus Teacher fake news is real or not, it is still worth the watch.
