Documentary - Minds In The Water

During our recent film festival, I was able to catch two documentaries. The first was a short feature film titled "In The Eye Of The Whale" Click on the link to catch it free!

The film short chronicled one man's journey to bring awareness and attention to whales in the hopes of changing whaling regulations. Using high quality camera's, Bryant Austin takes thousands upon thousands of real-to-scale photos of these magnificent creatures and has them printed to display in countries that allow whaling. 

What I genuinely enjoyed about this short feature was the simplicity of its message and how it is obtained. Austin is a great photographer and he captures these beautiful creatures in full scale; it is awe inspiring. I was very moved and touched by this short story of how deeply Austin cares for his cause. You should definitely take the time to check it out. 

The next was by far my favorite. 

"Minds in the Water is a feature-length documentary following the quest of professional surfer Dave Rastovich and his friends to protect dolphins, whales and the oceans they all share. Through Dave's journey—a five-year adventure spanning the globe from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, California, Alaska and Japan—we see one surfer’s quest to activate his community to help protect the ocean and its inhabitants."

When you think of surfers, your mind wanders to stereotypes. Well, truth be told. I'm married to one and at times it's not far from what you might think (I say that we extreme love for my husband). But there has always been a movement among those that love the water to protect it and all that inhabit it. As I told my husband, "You enjoy playing it? Then it's your duty to find a way to keep it clean. Whether it be beach clean up or dolphin rescue, find a way to protect what you treasure."

I had become so inspired by this documentary which seemed to focus more on dolphin rescue that I actually signed up with all the organizations involved. What I found interesting about the film was the fact that I didn't know half of the stuff that occurred... occurred! I was heartbroken to see how many dolphins are killed each year in Japan. But, since the film has only hit the festival circuit this year I want to turn your attention to its predecessor, The Cove. Same concept and relatively the same people. It's on Netflix Instant and frankly does a better job of explaining the issues behind the dolphin killing in Japan. 

It has received countless awards from festivals and an Academy Award in 2010 for Best Documentary Feature. Please take a moment to watch it on Netflix Instant. Thank you. ~ Noe and Suz