Mustekala opettajana

My Octopus Teacher outshines all other natural-science documentaries. Even if it were merely an undersea documentary about an octopus and a person’s friendship with it, it would stand out due to the variety of situations experienced throughout the film and its unique educational value. Thanks to the filmmaker’s good-heartedness and sincerity, the viewer is not just told and shown the facts, but becomes a co-discoverer of them. However, My Octopus Teacher is something much more in its emotional impact, thematic complexity and interconnectedness with the life of the documentarian. If Alex Honnold could take the last Oscar for best documentary due to the strength of the human spirit in climbing, now that honor should go to Craig Foster for his depiction of the fragile relationship between two extremely different species and his poetic description of the unifying parallels of their life journeys. (27.10.2020)

I never thought I’d find myself emotionally attached to an octopus, but this documentary made it happen. It’s incredible. I still don’t understand how Craig Foster managed to capture the entire story so perfectly—how he was there with a camera for all the key moments, how he could even breathe and stay underwater for so long. It felt like he had gills, like he’d become one with the kelp forest. This film has such a powerful message, and the ending is probably one of the most emotional I’ve ever seen in a nature documentary. (11.01.2021)

Okay, I suspected I might fall into the category of individuals who could theoretically be moved to tears by the life story of an octopus, but I'm still surprised at how much I've come to relate to it. A beautifully filmed, perfectly wonderful story. The underwater world is absolutely fascinating and humanity still knows so little about it. One of the most beautiful and moving documentaries I've ever seen. (30.11.2020)

This is a fragile and completely unique documentary about an unexpected friendship between a curious cephalopod and a burnt-out filmmaker who spent most of his life with him while daily diving. The film is an original, emotional and sometimes thrilling connection between the world of people and the world of animals, finding unifying parallels in the lives of both protagonists and casually encouraging understanding of nature from a completely different point of view. (04.01.2021)

I don’t care at all its shortcomings as a documentary (i.e. sweet sentimentality), the only type of person who can not like this is someone whose heart was stolen in grade school and never got it back. Unprecedented, beautifully shot and proving that the connection of ugly people with beautiful nature is possible. (16.01.2021)