'My Octopus Teacher' executive producer deeply honoured by Oscars win
The Netflix original documentary, 'My Octopus Teacher', chronicles the year-long relationship between man and octopus.
'My Octopus Teacher’, which has won more than 20 international awards, including Best Documentary at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and Producers Guild of America Awards, became the first nature documentary to win an Academy Award since 'The Cove' in 2010.
This is South Africa's third Oscar win since 2003 and 2005. In 2003, Charlize Theron from Benoni won an Oscar for Best Actress for the film 'Monster', the first South African actress to ever win an Oscar.
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In 2005, the film 'Tsoti' won Best Foreign Language Film. It was the first non-French-language African film to win in this category.
And in 2021, South Africa once again made history after 'My Octopus Teacher' won an Oscar for Best Documentary.
'My Octopus Teacher' chronicles the year-long relationship between man and octopus. In 2010, the renowned nature filmmaker Craig Foster started free-diving in the icy ocean waters of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Foster was suffering from debilitating burnout and adrenal fatigue and was desperate for radical change.
Help came - and it came in the form of an octopus.
READ: 'My Octopus Teacher': What can we learn from sea creatures?
Foster saw her (the octopus) as more of a guide or mentor, with valuable lessons that taught him about the fragility of life and the deep connection between the human and natural worlds.
Executive Producer of the documentary, Ellen Windemuth, who is deeply honored by the Oscars win, spoke to the Scenic Drive about the documentary and the historical win.
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Image: Supplied