My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher

After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.

  • Released: 2020-09-04
  • Runtime: 84 minutes
  • Genre: Documentaries
  • Stars: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
  • Director: Philippa Ehrlich, James Reed
 Comments
  • vfqjrxjqw - 2 April 2024
    Superb and a must watch start to end
    Totally agree with you. 'What she taught me was to feel... that you're part of this place, not a visitor. That's a huge difference.'

    Craig, Pippa. Warren, Tom, Dave and everyone involved. I am lost for words. Truly an amazing documentary in so many ways. Emotional, wonderful, videography genius, narration so moving, everyone should watch this and make a connection that you didn't know you could. Good luck with sea change project. I will never look at an Octopus in quite the same way again, I used to eat them but I just don't think I can anymore. These beautiful intelligent creatures deserve their life even though it may only be 1 to 3 years. I learned a lot watching this and totally understand the title, My Octopus Teacher.
  • johnsblack - 9 September 2023
    Just watch it
    Pay attention to all the 10 star reviews and ignore the cynical "I like to crap on everything others love" 1 star reviews.

    This movie is visually stunning for one thing. It's worth watching on your best tv just for that. It's a cinematic masterpiece.

    Second, it's truly an incredibly moving documentary about what happens when a man takes the time to spend months in the water every single day with an extremely intelligent creature until he earns its trust and develops an actual relationship with it. Why some people feel like it's all "fake" when we humans develop those same relationship with land animals like cats, dogs, etc all the time is beyond me. Octopuses are some of the most intelligent animals on the planet, so duh of course it can bond with a human.

    Lastly, it's also a fantastic study of an animal that we know so little about but is capable of such incredible behavior.

    Do yourself a favor and tuck into a comfy couch, in front of your best HD TV, with your favorite snack, turn the lights low and be prepared for a truly wonderful experience.
  • ds13-27845 - 5 June 2023
    A Very Charming and Unique Story
    This documentary records nature in a very subjective point of view, where the audience follows Craig Foster on his journey into the waters of South Africa. Foster's commentaries of his struggles, observations, and revelations during his encounter with the octopus fills the audience with emotions. As the story proceed, the audience too formed strong bonds with the octopus they never seen, touched, or swam with. The film production is also very refined and beautiful. I can't imagine how much work is put into filming, organizing, and editing. The narrative is very clear with high quality footages that presented a complete story with a beginning and end.
  • mmartic-21937 - 18 August 2022
    What an effort! Amazing and lovely
    For a start, I am stunned at the level of effort and patience that this man has put into tracking the octopus and trying to understand her behaviour, while diving every day in the freezing ocean. And the way he draws and maps that part of the ocean.. Extraordinary effort.

    I am also stunned at the intelligence of the octopus! From using different tools for different purposes, playing with fish, enjoying touch, to incredible problem solving strategies that she needs to come up with in a split second. Wow. Not to mention incredible ways of camouflage, changing colors, shape of her skin surface and amazing ability to regenerate.

    I am never gonna eat octopus again, and I am sure this movie has converted hundreds of thousands of other people to do the same. So there goes that. If only that octopus knew how she helped her kind!

    At the same time, documentary is incredibly emotional due to relationship that these two have. And curiously, their relationship is not built on any type of usual reward/bribe/feeding dynamic that is common when one is befriending an animal. This makes octopuses even more magical and interesting.
  • bilburry - 1 April 2022
    Exceptional
    The movie unexpectedly tugged at my heartstrings. Going into watching the documentary I knew that it was about an octopus's journey being recorded by a man who got fascinated by her. But little did I know that I would too get fascinated by her life journey. It is beautiful and emotional. The documentary is special in the way that the host actually formed a meaningful bond with the octopus. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful providing stunning images of the ocean and the creatures living in it.