One has often heard stories of pet animals having a lifetime bonding with their owners but it is quite rare to see that between humans and creatures living in the wild. One such rare example is that of a wild octopus becoming friends with a diver, Craig Foster and capturing this unusual friendship is My Octopus Teacher.

This 2020 Netflix Original film, which is making waves, has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category for this Sunday’s Oscar 2021.

The genesis

Foster, a South African filmmaker, took 10 years to make the footage used in My Octopus Teacher. According to Reuters it began as a personal video project by Foster to rekindle his connection with nature by observing an inquisitive female mollusc while free-diving near Cape Town.

In the film one gets to see how in 2010 Foster began free-diving in a cold underwater kelp forest at a remote location in False Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa. Located near Simon's Town on the Cape Peninsula, it is exposed to the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean.

The unusual bonding

Foster started to document his experiences and, in course of time, he chanced upon a curious young octopus that got his complete attention. Deciding to continue to visit her den and tracking her daily movements for a year, he was keen to win her trust.

In course of time, the two formed a bond where she plays with Foster and allows him into her world to see how she sleeps, lives, and eats. Foster in the film goes on to describe the impact on his life of his relationship with the octopus.

The documentary captures beautifully Foster's growing intimate relationship with the octopus as he follows her around for nearly a year. The audience get to see the octopus defending herself against pyjama sharks. She loses an arm in one such attack and retreats to her den to recover, regenerating the arm slowly over a period of three months.

A scene from My Octopus Teacher (Pic: Courtesy Netflix)

In another attack incident, she shows remarkable improvisation as she displays her creativity to survive, including sticking on the shark's back.

After mating with a bigger octopus and producing a large number of eggs, she dies naturally while tending for her eggs and a shark takes her body away.

Foster describes the effect of this mentorship that the octopus provided him with as teaching him a lesson on the fragility of life and humanity's connection with nature. This translated to Foster creating a deeper bond with his son as his son develops as a diver and marine life student.

Takeaways

According to Foster his relationship with the octopus taught him about life's fragility and our connection with nature, and even helped him become a better father.

As per the Reuters, Foster said: "The really strange thing is that, as you get closer to them, you realize that we're very similar in a lot of ways. I had to have a radical change in my life. And the only way I knew how to do it was to be in this ocean with her."

Grieving over the loss of his dear friend, Foster, showed his 3,000 hours of footage to fellow diver and director Pippa Ehrlich who shot additional material of the landscape beneath the cold waters of False Bay near Foster's home.

Pippa Ehrlich, co-director of My Octopus Teacher (Pic: Courtesy Earthx.org)

"There were moments where I was editing and I got emotional in certain scenes. You know, when she loses her leg. The final scene from playing with the fish to her death. I think I cried while I was cutting that,” remarked Ehrlich who co-directed the documentary with James Reed.

The documentary drew a surprisingly wide audience before winning a BAFTA award. It is nominated for an Oscar in the best documentary feature category.

Highlighting the impact of the film, Ehrlich reveals: "To receive thousands and thousands of emails from people saying that they've been touched … saying that they'll never eat octopus again.”

"The way that it's been received has been incredibly empowering. And yeah, it makes you believe in yourself,” she adds.