My Octopus Teacher

Movie • 2020 • Documentary  

Report
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.
This movie contains 6 potentially triggering events.
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Your Triggers
Does the dog die?
264 supporters
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8
0
No dogs involved!
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Unanswered Triggers
Were animals harmed in the making?
98 supporters
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0
Is there pedophilia?
81 supporters
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0
Is a minor sexualized?
78 supporters
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Is an animal abandoned?
69 supporters
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Is there excessive gore?
69 supporters
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Is there bestiality?
64 supporters
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Yes
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Is an animal sad?
60 supporters
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Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
59 supporters
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Abuse
Is someone stalked?
24 supporters
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5
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annag42
"Tracking" an animal is not quite the same thing as stalking, but there are some similarities that could be difficult for someone if that viewer is especially sensitive to such topics.
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Is there domestic violence?
65 supporters
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3
Is someone gaslighted?
33 supporters
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3
Is a child abused?
80 supporters
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3
Addiction
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5
Is there addiction?
12 supporters
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6
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annag42
The perspective character (narrator, filmmaker) does develop a daily habit of underwater diving, that his body becomes acclimated to. It is depicted as a positive, wholesome ongoing-choice to participate in and show up at a place rather than as a harmful substance-dependence cycle, but it is definitely depicted as a habit he comes to depend on nonetheless.
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Does someone abuse alcohol?
9 supporters
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5
Animal
Does a horse die?
70 supporters
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7
Does an animal die?
(besides a dog, cat or horse)
128 supporters
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11
No
1
20
laura9283479
It's an amazing documentary, but be prepared: the octopus gets eaten by a shark at the end. Octopuses die shortly after their eggs hatch. In this film, the octopus comes out of her den shortly after her eggs hatch and waits around for some other animal to eat her. By the time this happens in the documentary, you've become really attached to her, and it's heartbreaking. Still, it's worth watching. Her interaction with the filmmaker is really moving. There's scenes where she enthusiastically swims up to him, and he holds her against his chest and pets her while they cuddle. She is so curious and human like in all the best ways. But be prepared!

Also, there's a scene where a shark rips off one of her arms and she suffers for a week. It's really hard to watch.

In another scene, she chases down a crab and you see the crab panicking, swimming hard to get away, only to get eaten. The same for a lobster. It's not fun to watch these parts.
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Are animals abused?
148 supporters
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1
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6
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6
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12
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Eleonoraf
the octopus dies
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Does a cat die?
128 supporters
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7
Does a pet die?
116 supporters
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3
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1
Arthur_the_bee
Spoiler: in the end an animal dies after a human forms a very close emotional bond with her. She wasn’t a pet but she was very important to him
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Does a dragon die?
21 supporters
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7
Are there spiders?
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5
Are there snakes?
13 supporters
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5
Are there bugs?
21 supporters
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6
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Kaleigh
There are no bugs, but there are close-ups of antennae on lobsters and crabs, and footage of them scuttling along.
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Assault
Is someone sexually assaulted?
136 supporters
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3
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
28 supporters
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5
1
Kaleigh
The struggle to breathe isn't shown, but the filmmaker notes several times where he is desperate to go up for air after being underwater for too long. There are shots of him gasping as he breaks the surface.
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Is there cannibalism?
31 supporters
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3
Is someone burned alive?
29 supporters
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5
Is someone buried alive?
20 supporters
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3
Is there amputation?
18 supporters
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7
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1
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The octopus loses an arm after being attacked by a pajama shark - though she eventually grows it back
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Does a head get squashed?
48 supporters
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3
Is there a hanging?
30 supporters
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3
Are any teeth damaged?
35 supporters
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5
Does someone break a bone?
18 supporters
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4
Does someone have a seizure?
5 supporters
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5
Yes
4
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1
1
physiqq
Tentacle
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Is someone tortured?
68 supporters
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4
Does someone fall to their death?
9 supporters
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3
Is there eye mutilation?
75 supporters
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4
Children
Does a kid die?
33 supporters
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4
Family
Is someone kidnapped?
7 supporters
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4
Does a parent die?
15 supporters
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3
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annag42
Octopuses die shortly after or around the time their eggs hatch.
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Does someone cheat?
15 supporters
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4
Is a child's toy destroyed?
20 supporters
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4
Fear
Are there jump scares?
45 supporters
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4
Is someone possessed?
11 supporters
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4
Are there ghosts?
10 supporters
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4
Are there clowns?
9 supporters
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4
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
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4
Gross
Does someone vomit?
71 supporters
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5
Does someone spit?
10 supporters
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4
Is there audio gore?
38 supporters
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3
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
15 supporters
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3
Are needles/syringes used?
28 supporters
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3
Is there a mental institution scene?
20 supporters
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4
Is there a hospital scene?
11 supporters
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3
Does someone have cancer?
13 supporters
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0
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3
Mental Health
Does someone self harm?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
59 supporters
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3
Is there body dysmorphia?
1 supporters
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0
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3
Are there anxiety attacks?
23 supporters
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0
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3
0
Arthur_the_bee
The underwater kelp forest gets very thick and could feel claustrophobic
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Does someone have an eating disorder?
31 supporters
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0
No
3
Is there autism specific abuse?
34 supporters
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0
No
3
Noxious
0
Arthur_the_bee
The light underwater gives a flickering effect sometimes
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Pregnancy
Is there childbirth?
18 supporters
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0
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3
0
annag42
There are octopus eggs.
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Are there abortions?
14 supporters
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0
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3
Does someone miscarry?
18 supporters
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0
No
3
Does a pregnant person die?
10 supporters
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0
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3
Prejudice
Are there fat jokes?
41 supporters
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0
No
3
Does the black guy die first?
18 supporters
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0
No
3
Are there homophobic slurs?
37 supporters
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0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Is there hate speech?
22 supporters
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0
No
3
Does an LGBT person die?
27 supporters
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0
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3
Yes
0
No
3
Are there n-words?
25 supporters
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0
No
3
Sex
Yes
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4
0
annag42
not explicitly, but octopuses do reproduce via sexual means
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Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
67 supporters
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0
No
3
Spoiler
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
2 supporters
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0
No
3
Yes
8
No
1
1
Depends - the story & the meaning aren't sad but beautiful, however the inevitable death of the octopus hits hard
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Vehicular
Does a car crash?
13 supporters
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0
No
3
Does a plane crash?
5 supporters
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0
No
3
Is someone hit by a car?
18 supporters
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0
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3
Violence
Is there a nuclear explosion?
4 supporters
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0
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3
Is there blood/gore?
44 supporters
Yes
5
No
1
2
JenniMcGinnis
The octopus has its arm ripped off by a shark.
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Does someone drown?
13 supporters
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0
No
3
Is there gun violence?
19 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3