My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher

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Environmental

My Octopus Teacher is documentary film staring Craig Foster, who also produced the film. The film captures a year Foster spent with a wild octopus. Foster followed the octopus for most of the octopus' life

In partnership with Sea Change Project, Off The Fence and ZDF Enterprises, My Octopus Teacher, took ten years to make The film shows how, in 2010, Foster began freediving in a cold underwater kelp forest at the tip of South Africa. He started to film his experiences and, in time, a curious young octopus captured his attention. By visiting her den and tracking her movements every day for months, he won the animal’s trust. In the film, Foster describes the impact on his life of his relationship with the octopus.

The film shows the octopus defending herself against pyjama sharks. In one attack, the octopus loses an arm, and then retreats to her den to recover, regenerating the arm. Later, after mating with another octopus and producing a large number of eggs, the octopus dies and the film shows a shark taking her body away.

Foster then describes the effect of his experience with the octopus on his relationship with his son, and his son's development as a diver and student of marine life.