On Sunday night, in Hollywood, The Cove won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.
On Monday, in Taiji, Japan, local government officials grumbled with disapproval.
The Cove is a movie about cruelty, greed, and systematic dolphin slaughter. Taiji, home of the isolated inlet from which the film took its title, is at the geographical center of the story. The filmmakers refer to Taiji as "a little town with a really big secret." But local councilman Hisato Ryono doesn't think his town has anything to hide:
Everyone around here knows about it. The water nearby turns red during the hunt. The actual killing is done in a concealed area because it is unpleasant to look at, as is true of killing cows or pigs or any other animal.
Reasonable analogy, for sure. But if there isn't any secrecy, then why did the filmmakers need jungle camo, face paint, and cameras disguised as rocks?
For more coverage of the reactions from Taiji, click here and here.
