Japan pro-whaling documentary wins award at London film festival

"Misconceptions"... Of course.

Also FYI, from the IMDb page of the movie :

"With no budget, limited experience in filmmaking, no fluency in English"

Maybe I'll try to see this documentary someday, but I don't expect much.

What does pro-whaling even mean?

Anti-whaling is exactly that, but pro-whaling is what? Simple tolerance for human freedom?

Good to hear! Anti-whaling is a silly catharsis for hypocrites who don’t actually truly care about whaling whatsoever. Glad this hypocrisy and delusion has been clearly exposed

The London International Filmmaker Festival appears to be a for-profit venture run by a self-proclaimed media entrpreneur called Carl Tooney. Mr. Tooney gained notoriety as the man behind the epic failure of a global advertising festival in Paris Disneyland in 2003.

http://adage.com/article/news/paris-advertising-festival-collapses-disarray/38300/

He also seems to run many other film festivals, including the Ealing Film Festival, from an address in that epicentre of the UK film industry, Margate in Kent. Mr. Tooney is also a director of several other companies, including one called Global Japan UK:

https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/global-japan-uk

From the London International Filmmaker Festival Of World Cinema website:

"Official or professional national organisations and individuals may submit feature and short films to the Festival".

It would be interesting to know who funded this film and who submitted it to this "film festival".

What would be interesting about that? You are interested who the messenger is so you can shoot them?

It's great how there were no right wing nationalists protesting and threatening the film festival with violence. Likewise, I'm sure the Cove would have no problems being shown in Japan. Oh wait....

A documentary showing alternative viewpoints on a controversial subject is always to be welcomed.

Whether or not this one does so successfully, I'll reserve judgement until I see it. Maybe it does.

To keep in perspective this award is not by The London Film Festival, but by the London International Filmakers, an event for film makers of all persuasions to get a chance to show their works from amateurs to professionals. A worthy event for fledgling artists, but not neceessarily internationally acclaimed.

My friends successful clothing business has International in it's name - but global it aint.

Good on you, Alfie Noakes.

Thanks Alfie for that background.

"The Cove" was primarily about a dolphin capture and cull. I don't see how you can answer it with a film about whaling. They are different issues. You can be pro whaling and anti-dolphins in capitivity/dolphin culls. Or vice versa. Or supportive of some things Japan does and not supportive of others. This is called "freedom".

This reduction of not even complicated issues to simple binary positions is a true waste of the human brain. It is dumbing down in the extreme.

What would be interesting about that?

Interesting because it smacks of government propaganda and an attempt to prey on impressionable people? I would say it's interseting.

Anti-whaling is a silly catharsis for hypocrites who don’t actually truly care about whaling whatsoever.

You may be right! Or, you may simply be scrambling to discredit the very logical arguments that have been made in regards to anti-whaling.

Glad this hypocrisy and delusion has been clearly exposed

It's more easily argued that those who support whaling are delusional, hypocritical and even emotional when they hide behind the 'science' and 'tradition' angles to support their arguments. These arguments have been thoroughly shot down numerous times.

Interesting because it smacks of government propaganda and an attempt to prey on impressionable people? I would say it's interseting.

Of course, such a thing as "anti-whaling propaganda" does not exist ("Whales are endangered! Save the whales!"), and impressionable people in western nations are never duped by it.

those who support whaling are delusional, hypocritical and even emotional

Mmm, there we go again. "Pro-whaling" is people who "support whaling". What is that?

Most people who aren't anti-whaling are merely not against whaling. Not being against something doesn't mean you are for it.

How can someone who doesn't oppose something suddenly be classed as "delusional, hypocritical and emotional"?

they hide behind the 'science' and 'tradition' angles to support their arguments.

Traditionally people in some parts of the world have eaten whales, that's just a fact. Let's not get emotional about denying history.

Japan should stop whaling with immediate effect. Even though Norway and Iceland whale much more than Japan, they are fine to continue as they do it responsibly

As someone that enjoys eating whale all I can say is "Way to go Keiko Yagi!"

Japan should stop whaling with immediate effect. Even though Norway and Iceland whale much more than Japan, they are fine to continue as they do it responsibly

This perfectly sums up the almost comically delusional hypocrisy of the anti-whaler. It doesn't matter if other countries whale, it only matters if Japan whales. It clearly shows none of these overly emotional types even cares about whaling, they only care about what Japan does. It's so silly that it no longer even deserves acknowledgement as a valid position.

Whaling will never end in Japan, deal with it

Awful coincidence that this year's award in London was sponsored by the Japan Whaling Industry!

@Spectrum

Japan should stop whaling with immediate effect. Even though Norway and Iceland whale much more than Japan, they are fine to continue as they do it responsibly

Norway and Iceland need to stop hunting too. Also, Faroe islanders carry out a mass slaughter of dolphins similar to Taiji, just as bloody, just as barbaric.

As for the film... there will always be people who try to defend the unjustifiable acts carried out by human beings against wild animals in the name of tradition and culture.

Whaling will **never end in Japan, deal with it **nobody expects them too, its commercial whaling that the concern, its Japan end game just to plunder the oceans of whatever they can make a profit, if people wont eat it then itll make good dogfood. When I hear illegal Chinese Korean fishermen plundering Japans waters, I use to be annoyed now Im like , Karmas a biatch.

dcog you said "..Whaling will never end in Japan, deal with it".

And for many folks that's OK. Keep it in Japan.

Just don't spread 10,000+ kms away to the pristine Antarctic World.

Simple.

Likewise, I'm sure the Cove would have no problems being shown in Japan. Oh wait....

It has been and is on DVD here.

It's Japan's culture and right to do as it wishes.

Japan’s traditional whaling does not include the southern oceans.

There are are no misconceptions about the high levels of mercury in dolphin and toothed whale meat, just as there are no misconceptions about the high levels of mercury found in people who regularly eat it.

This documentary is is nothing more than biased cultural propaganda. Even though the Cove was made to appeal to people’s emotions at least it was factual. This documentary only attempts to twist and hide the facts.

I saw this on Netflix and encourage all of those who are for or against whaling to view this film with open minds. I believe the film did a great job exposing some of the hypocrisy of the western ethnocentric and often racist point of view to bash Japan for their desire to return to sustainable whaling and the rudeness and insensitivity of the sea Shepard’s attitude towards the people of Taiji and Japanese peoples cultures and traditions. The film will also detail the long history and culture whales had with The japanese and the respect they had towards the animal both spiritually and ensuring they use every part of this magnificent creature when they were taken.

and ensuring they use every part of this magnificent creature when they were taken.

This inevitably ends up with them being stored in freezers in increasingly large amounts, then failing to be sold at auction even at rock bottom prices, then force fed to school kids. Saying it's tradition is about as logical as saying watching Betamax videos is tradition.

@ClippetyClop Please point to the evidence that the meet is being stored due to lack of demand. The film points to the lie that Taiji residents are being poisoned by mercury as well which is not true.. I am willing to bet that the whale meet sits unsold due to lack of demand is also more of the propaganda and falsehoods that is exposed in this film so please watch it before denouncing it and provide Japanese unbiased sources on the whale meet sitting in freezers due to lack of demand... Thanks!

DisillusionedToday 07:33 am JST

Japan’s traditional whaling does not include the southern oceans.

It's the "whaling" that's traditional. Not the location. Inuits whale today with high powered rifles and snowmobiles, neither of which are "traditional".

There are are no misconceptions about the high levels of mercury in dolphin and toothed whale meat, just as there are no misconceptions about the high levels of mercury found in people who regularly eat it.

No country has suffered as Japan from mercury contaminated seafood. Google up "Minamata disease" and take a look at the photos. Few countries are as sensitive to merury poisoning as Japan. If there was the slightest concern not only would this be a high level government issue, but there would be actual cases. There aren't at because this "mercury in whale meat" is another false allegation used by anti-whalers.

This documentary is is nothing more than biased cultural propaganda. Even though the Cove was made to appeal to people’s emotions at least it was factual. This documentary only attempts to twist and hide the facts.

No it's not. I've seen it. Have you?

That film festival is not exactly pukka.

@Nihonryu, is there any point? You’ve already decided that whatever evidence you see will be “propaganda”, or “falsehoods”, or “fake news” or whatever other reason history deniers like you keep your head up. Don’t expect me to google your opinions for you.

The undeniable facts are these though

1)   Demand for whale meat is continuing to decrease in Japan at a rapid rate

2)   Whale stocks are massive

3)   Prices are rock bottom

4)   Whaling is about money & votes, not tradition

So you have a product that nobody wants to buy, a high supply of it at a low price, and you want to catch more of it. This is how 21st century politics plays out I guess.

@Ossan, here is that false mercury story you were probably trying not to refer to

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/09/whale-dolphin-meat-yahoo-japan-exceeds-safe-mercury-limits

@OssanAmerica - Yes, I have seen it and have also seen The Cove. The Japanese documentary only set out to show contra points to everything the Cove stated. It was not a cultural documentary. It is nothing more than a rebuttal and a very poor one at that. Most of the denied points made in the Japanese documentary were based on cultural opinion, not facts. They even denied high levels of mercury in residents of Wakayama, which was proven in a Japanese health ministry study two years ago. The study found that many residents had mercury levels 10-20 times higher than the recommended safe level. Yet, this documentary stated there were no issues with mercury poinsonjng from eating dolphin meat. Furthermore, their arguments supporting a return to commercial whaling are not based on science. They are based on cultural tradition. However, it is a widely known fact that, only 25% of the current southern ocean catch is sold. The rest (around 3-5,000 tons) is stored in freezers around the country. The government intends to give it away to schools just to get rid of it. How can this very dismal market for whale meat support any kind of commercial hunting? It’s impissible! Yet, the Japanese documentary were stating economic benefits of commercial whaling. It’s all BS!

@NihonRyu - You really need to stop watching NHK and pull your head out of the sand.

DisillusionedFeb. 21 04:13 pm JST

@OssanAmerica - Yes, I have seen it and have also seen The Cove

Then how can you claim this film is "propaganda"?

ClippetyClopFeb. 21 01:39 pm JST

@Ossan, here is that false mercury story you were probably trying not to refer to

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/09/whale-dolphin-meat-yahoo-japan-exceeds-safe-mercury-limits

Show me a story about Japanese government findings. Not written by a foreign source.

Show me a story about Japanese government findings.

No, I won't. I showed findings from an independent source that completely destroy your statement. Do your own thinking. Would findings from a group that funds whaling be more satisfactory to you?

It's not that you "wont", it's that you "can't". The fact is that if any mercury poisoning from a food source was occurring in any developed country there would be news surrounding it, local and national level concern and intervention. That we do not find such news articles in local (read; Japanese) news sources, or foreign news sources attributing the source to a local news source effectively eliminates it's credibility. Quite a few Western news sources are affected by anti-whaling propaganda and will write anything.