A WHALE OF A TALE
A film by Megumi Sasaki
2018, 95 minutes
2018, 95 minutes
No. 185
Documentary
Documentary
Description
In 2010, the sleepy fishing town of Taiji in Japan suddenly found itself in the worldwide media spotlight. The Cove, a documentary denouncing the town’s longstanding whale and dolphin hunting traditions, won an Academy Award and almost overnight, Taiji became the go-to destination and battleground for activists from around the world.
What might at first seem like a black-and-white issue however has proven to be more complex. Directed by Megumi Sasaki (the filmmaker of the beloved documentaries Herb and Dorothy and Herb and Dorothy 50x50), A Whale of a Tale revisits this story, but discovers a different perspective - and a different question. Can a proud 400-year-old whaling tradition survive a tsunami of modern animal-rights activism and colliding forces of globalism vs. localism?
Featuring a wide range of characters including local fishermen, international activists and an American journalist (and longtime Japanese resident), this fascinating and thought-provoking documentary unearths a deep divide in eastern and western thought about nature and wildlife and cultural sensitivity in the face of global activism.
Reviews
"A Whale of a Tale is a corrective, countering The Cove’s agitprop sensationalism with a measured and nuanced curiosity…. It paints a complex picture of the clash between globalism and a fast-disappearing localism." – Village Voice
“A thoughtful documentary that presents another side of the story… A sort of de facto sequel to 2010's Oscar-winning documentary The Cove.” – Hollywood Reporter
