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The Cove
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The Cove (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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The Cove -- Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
The Cove -- Clip: Planning the mission
The Cove -- In the 1960's, Richard O'Barry was the world’s leading authority on dolphin training. Day in and day out, O'Barry kept the dolphins working and television audiences smiling. But one day, that all came to a tragic end.

Overview

User Rating:
8.4/10   25,166 votes »
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MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 35% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Louie Psihoyos
Writer:
Mark Monroe (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Cove on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 August 2009 (Australia) See more »
Genre:
Documentary | Crime See more »
Tagline:
Shallow Water. Deep Secret.
Plot:
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 26 wins & 8 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(355 articles)
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User Reviews:
A Nutshell Review: The Cove See more (131 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)

Richard O'Barry ... Himself (as Ric O'Barry)

Louie Psihoyos ... Himself
Hardy Jones ... Himself
Michael Illiff ... Himself
Joji Morishita ... Himself
Ian Campbell ... Himself

Paul Watson ... Himself (as Captain Paul Watson)
Doug DeMaster ... Himself
Dave Rastovich ... Himself / Surfer

Charles Hambleton ... Himself
Hayato Sakurai ... Himself
Kazutaka Sangen ... Himself
Simon Hutchins ... Himself
Joe Chisholm ... Himself
Mandy-Rae Cruikshank ... Herself / Freediver
Kirk Krack ... Himself / Freediver
Roger Payne ... Himself
Hideki Moronuki ... Himself
Dan Goodman ... Himself
Tetsuya Endo ... Himself
C. Scott Baker ... Himself
Brook Aitken ... Himself
John Potter ... Himself (as Dr. John Potter)
John Fuller ... Himself
Atherton Martin ... Himself

Deborah Bassett ... Surfer (as Deborah Basset)
Steven Barilotti ... Surfer (as Steve Barilotti)
Shannon Sol Carroll ... Surfer
Howie Cooke ... Surfer
James Cox ... Surfer
Hannah Fraser ... Surfer
Peter Heller ... Surfer
Justin Krumb ... Surfer
Chris Lane ... Surfer
Andrew Lucas ... Surfer
Karlee Mackie ... Surfer
Owen J. Newcomb ... Surfer

Jeff Pantukhoff ... Surfer
Karina Petroni ... Surfer
James Pribham ... Surfer
Seamon ... Surfer
Kuni Takanami ... Surfer
Angie Takanami ... Surfer
James Triglone ... Surfer

Lesley Vogel ... Surfer

Isabel Lucas ... Herself: Whateman Foundation / Save the Whales

Hayden Panettiere ... Herself: Whateman Foundation / Save the Whales
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Greg 'Moondog' Mooney ... Himself (uncredited)

Hans Peter Roth ... Himself (uncredited)
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Directed by
Louie Psihoyos 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Mark Monroe  writer

Produced by
Olivia Ahnemann .... co-producer
Jim Clark .... executive producer
Paula DuPré Pesmen .... producer
Charles Hambleton .... associate producer
Fisher Stevens .... producer
 
Original Music by
J. Ralph 
 
Cinematography by
Brook Aitken 
 
Film Editing by
Geoffrey Richman 
 
Production Management
Joe Chisholm .... unit production manager
Robert Warmflash .... post-production supervisor
 
Art Department
Jeremy Blanchard .... graphic designer
Anita Johnston .... additional graphic artist
Geoff Lillemon .... additional graphic artist
Nate Naylor .... additional graphic artist
Dan Ragland .... graphic designer
Mike Scalisi .... additional graphic artist
Brandon Smith .... graphic designer
Reed Smith .... artist: blimp
 
Sound Department
Ryan Collison .... foley recordist
Robert Fernandez .... sound re-recording mixer (as Roberto Fernandez)
Jim Gardner .... director of operations: Sound One
Kelly Garry .... sound
Matthew Haasch .... foley supervisor
Mickey Houlihan .... sound consultant: Wind Over the Earth
Sylvia Menno .... dialogue editor
Greg 'Moondog' Mooney .... sound
Joe Olson .... sound advisor: underwater
Glenfield Payne .... sound re-recording mixer
Glenfield Payne .... supervising sound editor
Jay Peck .... foley artist
Jorge Plana .... sound
Gus Skinas .... sound consultant: Audio Center
Steve F.B. Smith .... sound consultant: Dolby
Stuart Stanley .... dialogue editor
Reilly Steele .... sound re-recording mixer
Jeffrey Stern .... sound effects editor
Edward Thacker .... sound
Mark Venezia .... sound consultant: Wind Over the Earth
Chris Wright .... sound consultant: Audio Center
Olaf Mierau .... dubbing director (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Nelson Hall .... rock camera housing: Kerner Optical
Danny Wagner .... rock camera housing: Kerner Optical
Kevin Wallace .... rock camera housing supervisor: Kerner Optical
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Peter Abramson .... additional cameraman
Peter Blakely .... still photographer
Joe Chisholm .... additional cameraman (as Joseph Chisholm)
Eduardo Cruz Coke .... camera crew: Chile (as Eduardo Cruz-Coke)
Santiago De La Cruz Monreal .... camera crew: Chile
Pablo Del Rio .... camera crew: Chile
David Doubilet .... still photographer
Dennis Flippin .... additional cameraman
Charles Hambleton .... additional cameraman
Miles Hubley .... additional cameraman
Simon Hutchins .... additional cameraman
Goh Iromoto .... additional cameraman
Kirk Krack .... additional cameraman
I. Kelly Mason .... videographer: SavaJapanDolphins.org
Richard O'Barry .... additional cameraman
Kioshi Ota .... still photographer
Louie Psihoyos .... additional cameraman
Michael Ramsey .... additional cameraman
Hans Scherer .... camera crew: Chile
Diana Thater .... videographer: SavaJapanDolphins.org
Tom White .... additional cameraman
Todd Williams .... additional cameraman
 
Animation Department
Damon Ciarelli .... animator: Ice Cold Milk
Mike Scalisi .... additional animator
Boo Wong .... animator: Ice Cold Milk
 
Editorial Department
Will Cox .... digital intermediate colorist
Corey Drayton .... additional assistant editor
Dennis Flippin .... additional editor
Miles Hubley .... assistant editor
Ben Laffin .... on-line editor
Kristen Molina .... digital intermediate producer
Mike Scalisi .... associate editor
Tom White .... assistant editor
Russ Wiltse .... additional editor (as Russell Wiltse)
David Zieff .... creative consultant
 
Music Department
Brian Binsack .... second scoring engineer
Paul Crowder .... musician: drums
Liz Gallacher .... music supervisor
Kathleen Hasay .... music supervision assistant
Alexandra Hill .... music supervision executive
Bub Jess .... music arranger
Bub Jess .... music producer
Bub Jess .... scoring engineer
Bub Jess .... scoring mixer
Ric Markmann .... composer: theme music
Richard Markmann .... composer: additional music
Richard Markmann .... music producer
Richard Markmann .... musician
Gary Morris .... music studio coordinator
Papaginou .... musician: buduk, world woodwinds & flutes
Arthur Pingrey .... music co-producer
Arthur Pingrey .... pro-tools and computer programming
Dan Pinnella .... composer: additional music (as Danny Pinnella)
Dan Pinnella .... music producer (as Danny Pinnella)
Dan Pinnella .... musician (as Danny Pinnella)
Chris Wagner .... composer: additional music
Chris Wagner .... music producer
Chris Wagner .... musician
Tracy Waname .... musician: woodwinds (as Tracey Wanamae)
 
Other crew
Peter Abel .... production supplier: Abel Cine Tech
Anne S. Atkinson .... legal counsel
C. Scott Baker .... dna analysis: Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
Sergio Ballivian .... production assistant
Robert Barrel .... location guide
Kim Beddall .... location guide
Max Benjamin .... location guide
Greg Beyette .... location guide
Jeremy Blanchard .... website designer
Chris Brandson .... location guide
Fabricio Carbo .... location guide
Lou Ciccone .... legal counsel
Michael Clark .... underwater assistant
Mandy-Rae Cruikshank .... freediver
Karen Dawson .... bookkeeping services
Marina Dellestaing .... location guide
Ralph DePalma .... legal counsel (as Ralph Depalma)
Nelson Diaz .... location guide
Andrew Driver .... diving equipment and training
Nancy Easterbrook .... location guide
Shigeo Ekino .... scientific advisor: Kumamoto University
John J. Ellerbrook .... underwater camera supplier (as John J Ellerbrock)
Mark T. Elliott .... assistant: Fisher Stevens (as Mark Elliot)
Tetsuya Endo .... scientific advisor: HSU of Hokkaido
Stew Esposito .... location guide
Jon Gauvin .... underwater camera supplier
Julie Goldman .... production consultant
Wyndham Hannaway .... production supplier: GW Hannaway & Associates
Wyndham Hannaway .... technical advisor
Masazumi Harada .... scientific advisor: Kumamoto Gakuen University
Sakae Hemmi .... japanese consultant
Mark Higashino .... japanese translator
Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt .... scientific advisor: National University of Singapore (as Dr. Matthias Hoffman-Kuhunt)
Simon Hutchins .... director of expeditions
Goh Iromoto .... japanese interpreter
Pasqul Jaqut .... location guide (as Pascal Jaqut)
Peter Jaszi .... intellectual property counsel
Jeffrey C. Johnson .... legal counsel
Anita Johnston .... title designer
Burt Jones .... location guide
Krysanne Katsoolis .... production consultant
Kirk Krack .... freediver
Hidemi Kumai .... scientific advisor: Fisheries Lab Kinki University
Elizabeth Landon .... production assistant
Geoff Lillemon .... title designer
James Mack .... blimp pilot
James Mack .... helicopter pilot
Junko Mackert .... japanese translator
Lorenzo Martinez .... location guide
John Miller-Monzon .... archival researcher
Aileen Mioko Smith .... advisor: Green Action
Brett Monroe .... infared technology: Monroe Infared Technologies
Burke Mooney .... diving equipment and training
Greg 'Moondog' Mooney .... marine technician
Nate Naylor .... title designer
Lincoln O'Barry .... assistant: Ric O'Barry
Lincoln O'Barry .... assistant: Richard O'Barry
Richard O'Barry .... advisor: Earth Island Institute
Joseph R. Olsen .... scientific advisor: Cetacean Research Technology
Bob Olson .... diving equipment and training
Kiyoshi Ota .... japanese interpreter
Adam A. Pack .... scientific advisor: The Dolphin Institute
Julie Palmer .... transcription services
Raymond Para .... location guide
Jim Pasa .... travel assistance: Odyssey Travel
Thomas Perceval .... location guide
Don Poe .... production supplier: People Productions
John Potter .... scientific advisor: Underwater Acoustics Consultant (as Dr. John Potter)
Maclaren Prior .... location guide
Nicholas Psihoyos .... udnerwater assistant
Sam Psihoyos .... underwater assistant
Viki Psihoyos .... communication director: OPS
Lyda Reeves .... production assistant: Japan
Diana Reiss .... scientific advisor: Dolphin Cognition and Intelligence, Hunter College, City University of NY (as Dr. Diana Reiss)
Paul Remijan .... underwater camera supplier
Scott Roche .... production supplier: Coupe Studios
Kimberly Rogers .... production coordinator
Jay Rubin .... business affairs manager: Sound One
Carl Saieva .... underwater camera supplier
Mike Scalisi .... title designer
Theresa Schaller .... transcription services
Sarah Diane Selby .... legal counsel (as Sarah Selby)
Mishigo Shibuya .... interpreter: Japanese
Mishigo Shibuya .... japanese interpreter
Beverly Silva .... travel assistance: The Hotel Boulderado
Brandon Smith .... website designer
Sarah Stearns .... production assistant
Robert Stein .... legal counsel (as F. Robert Stein)
Caroline Stevens .... production consultant
Neil Sullivan .... production supplier: GW Hannaway & Associates
David Sundstrom .... blimp pilot
David Sundstrom .... helicopter pilot
Georgia Terry .... travel assistance: James Travel Points
Osaldo Emiddio Vasquez Ravelo .... location guide
Philippa Ward .... location guide
Phillipa Ward .... location guide
W. Wilder Knight II .... legal counsel
Jason Williamson .... location guide
Marianne Yee .... travel assistance: Tulips Travel
Michiko Zentoh .... japanese translator
Michiko Zentoh .... location coordinator: Japan
David Zieff .... creative consultant
 
Thanks
Katya Bassil .... special thanks
Natalie Boudreau .... special thanks
Julie Bowett .... special thanks
Chris Columbus .... special thanks
Griffin Dunne .... special thanks
Thomas Jernoluk .... very special thanks
Iain Kerr .... special thanks: Ocean Alliance
Andrew Kershaw .... special thanks
Yoji Kita .... special thanks
Ken Olin .... thanks
Roger Payne .... special thanks: Ocean Alliance
Bill Pullman .... thanks
Robert Redford .... special thanks
Jay Rubin .... special thanks
Richard E. Schaden .... very special thanks
Richard F. Schaden .... very special thanks
Liev Schreiber .... thanks (as Liev Schrieber)
Gore Verbinski .... special thanks
Nadine Weil .... special thanks
Lars Wolloe .... special thanks
Steven Zaillian .... thanks
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for disturbing content
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Japanese
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
USA:PG-13 (certificate #45375) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Sweden:7 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Austria:12 | Germany:6 | France:U | Japan:PG12
Filming Locations:
Taiji, Higashimuro, Wakayama, JapanSee more »
Company:
Diamond DocsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Kerner Optical, previously the Industrial Light and Magic model shop, created special camouflaged (rock-like) cameras that helped capture some of the footage in the cove.See more »
Quotes:
John Potter:As a scientist, I'm trained to recognize intelligence through objective measures... tool use, cognitive processes, and so on. As a human being, when I see a dolphin looking at me and his eyes tracking me and I lock eyes with that animal, there's a human response that makes it undeniable that I'm connecting with an intelligent being.See more »
Movie Connections:
References Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)See more »
Soundtrack:
MagicSee more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
122 out of 169 people found the following review useful.
A Nutshell Review: The Cove, 23 August 2009
Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore

It saddens me to watch The Cove, because unless your heart is made of stone, it's unlikely not to become unaffected by it, when it shows how evil man can be. It also boggles the mind when you mull over whether the perpetrators know exactly what they're doing in committing such atrocities, that extinction of species boil down to those who are indifferent, inhumane, and corrupted by the smell of profits that highlights Man's propensity for destruction. To claim superiority over another by explanation of the preservation of culture, is bullshit at best, and it just shows how consciously ignorant we can sometimes get due to either lack of understanding, or just simply refusing to change incorrect mindsets.

I'm sure many of us will agree that dolphins are very beautiful water-based mammals, and the lucky few who have gotten to chance upon them in their natural habitat will attest to the fact that it's awe-inspiring to have seen them in action. From time to time we read about the heroic nature of our mammal counterparts in saving human lives, so what would warrant such untold cruelties toward those blessed by Nature with a smile and an extremely gentle, docile nature, or cursed as the filmmakers would say, because they are unable to project outwardly their feelings of pain, sadness and betrayal by humankind?

Director Louie Psihoyos had crafted an incredible documentary which isn't just another save- this-species film, or just another wildlife conservation flick. Somehow, The Cove stands above those that I've seen which have run along those lines, in that it contains footages that the team had managed to wrangle out in a quest for the truth. It contains scenes of murder most foul, which will start again in the month of September, unless people around the world make some noise beyond puppet worldwide organizations fueled by corrupt bureaucrats bent on smug thinking that half-baked nonsensical answers can keep the truth under wraps.

What also added that emotional weight to the film, is the inclusion of Richard O'Barry, who could be infamously credited with sparking the interest in dolphin-aquariums and shows around the world, simply because of his involvement in the Flipper television series, where he had responsibility in capturing and training 5 dolphins used for that successful series, and henceforth spawned an industry of sorts where dolphins are captured en masse by confusing them and leading them into man-made traps, then allowing trainers around the world to come and choose those with potential. Think of it like the slave trade which we have abhorred, but now transferred to the animal kingdom, with a murderous act of slaughtering thousands of those which don't make the theme-park cut. Who are we to decide those that cannot entertain, only deserves to be chopped up in cold blood for the supermarkets?

O'Barry is now an activist set on releasing every dolphin in captivity, but only because of a personal, profound loss of a dolphin in his arms that have jolted him into action. He's quite forthright in his interviews, and his transformation as explained is nothing less than heart- wrenching. His crusade led him to Taiji, Japan, which is the source of the trade, with over- zealous Japanese fishermen bordering on counter-surveillance, muscling in on local police influence, to try and keep O'Barry at bay from interrupting their profitable trade, and of course putting a dampener on O'Barry's search for redemption.

Most of the film then centered on the filmmakers and their assembling of a few good men and women with specific skill sets, such as free-diving and prop-making, acoustics experts to covert camera operations, in an attempt to expose the truth from The Cove, an area designed by natural geography and exploited by the fishermen to perform their most heinous acts. It's akin to a heist movie with intense preparation work and danger lurking around every corner, but the images obtained are nothing less than shocking – the indiscriminate slaughter without remorse and plenty of laughter, a very affecting sea waters filled with red from the bloodbath, and frenetic cries for help and unsuccessful flight from death. It'll make the most stoic of men, shed tears.

The film also had touched upon another aspect of how Man is offending Nature through our polluting ways, but Psihoyos deftly included that portion in because it's also related, but never letting it detract its focus from the main story. While dolphin meat doesn't appeal, being slyly packaged as something else is nothing less than cheating. Also, the high levels of mercury found in the meat not only endangers whoever is putting it on their dinner plate, but just emphasizes the entire polluted food chain with the fact that we are the #1 pollutants on this planet, and poisoning of marine life, or rapid consumption of food from the sea, is something that will impact us in time to come very soon, unless we wake up.

One of the world's most intelligent creatures getting slaughtered indiscriminately, and you can do something about it. Undoubtedly as a film this is very well made, and have received countless of accolades, but if audiences were to stop at this point then nothing will change and everything will be lost, starting from the efforts from the activists. This film is set to break into my top films of the year as well, but even that rings hollow.

What we can do, at the very least, is to vote with our wallet. Make some noise, talk about it, spread the word and get people go watch the film, and take affirmative action. With demand and attendances to sea-world-like or dolphin theme parks come crashing down because we choose not to patronize them, then demand for dolphins to perform at these locations will no longer be viable.

Was the above review useful to you?
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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Cove (2009)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Humans can be the most loathful bastards taavi-miku
Why many Americans such hypocrites? barometz
Hypocrisy at its peak harsha2
Uhh.. mnkymania06
Can't the dolphins easily save themselves? ArkhamsMostWanted
only 5 minutes of actual footage tapavko
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