An Instant Classic: “My Octopus Teacher”
This documentary will change your life
I have just watched a fascinating documentary about an octopus, but it has been so much more than I expected. “My Octopus Teacher” is a film about the ocean, underwater creatures, ecology, curiosity, creativity, wildlife, sea forests, spirituality, nature, and interconnectedness.
Craig Foster is a diver and wildlife filmmaker who was in a dark and stressful period in his life. He begins his therapy by diving the dark waters of the ocean in Western Cape and learns to develop a deeper appreciation of his natural surroundings. He explores how he is connected to the world around him.
In particular, Craig becomes obsessed with this octopus. One day, Craig sees a strange shape on the ocean floor: An octopus is covered with an armor of rocks and shells. He decides there is a lot to learn here and he dives and visits the den of the octopus every day.
Craig decides to follow the life of this octopus for over 300 days. Eventually, the octopus realizes that Craig is not a threat, but a friend. The octopus allows Craig into her life. Both Craig and the octopus are very curious and it is a symbiotic dance of mutual learning and exploration. Craig spends a lot of time with the octopus, develops this amazing empathy and gentleness, and learns a great deal about life, nature, and interconnectedness. Watch the trailer here:
Craig’s underwater journey is a breathtaking one. He finds a new passion to explore life beneath the water and connects with an octopus in a pretty amazing way. It is a love story and it shows you what happens when you care about, learn from, and interact with an octopus. It is such an emotional story that you find yourself mysteriously attracted to this strange underwater creature and this sea forest.
There are all these heartwarming and heartbreaking moments about the life of this octopus. You learn how she becomes a hunter at night, how she saves herself from the shark attacks through the most incredible methods, how she interacts with her habitat, how she reproduces, and how she dies. You learn about the enormous creativity and intelligence of this animal that was sharpened through millions of years of evolution. The connection you feel is so deep and creative that you might find yourself crying.
This film is truly a gift for your humanity, your curiosity, and your spirit. The cinematography is fascinating — it is a feast for your eyes and soul. It reminds you of how we are all in this wonderful world together and sharing the wonders of this life and nature. It is so easy to miss and forget the magic of all. We should boldly immerse ourselves within the natural world so that we become a harmonious part of it.
Each life is very fragile, precious, beautiful, and interconnected. Therefore, we must cherish and protect the life of each living being on this planet.
