My Octopus Teacher, 2020, Netflix, 85 min, South Africa: Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. After years spent filming some of the planet's most dangerous animals, Craig Foster was burned out and depressed, his family relationships in turmoil. He decided to put a halt to his career to reconnect with his own roots - the magical underwater world of the kelp forest off the coast of his hometown - Cape Town, South Africa. For nearly a decade, Craig went diving daily in the icy cold waters, ditching wetsuit and scuba rig in one of the most predator dense places on earth. The common octopus he met and tracked became first his subject, then his teacher, showing him things no human had ever witnessed. Shot over eight years, with 3000 hours of footage, My Octopus Teacher documents a unique friendship, interaction and animal intelligence never seen before. Join the conversation with directors Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, moderated by Academy Award winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
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