Human-octopus love story up for best documentary Oscar
(Reuters) - Pets can easily bond with humans, but when a wild octopus befriends a diver and becomes his life coach, that true story scores a best documentary nomination for this Sunday's Oscars.
She shared with him her secret life in an underwater kelp forest every day for a year before her death after mating and laying eggs, and the pair developed a deep bond.
Foster said his relationship with the octopus taught him about life's fragility and our connection with nature, and even helped him become a better father.
Foster, who grieved over the loss of his friend, 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.
"There were moments where I was editing and I got emotional in certain scenes," Ehrlich said. "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."
When a story has such an impact on someone who is already very familiar with it, "you know that you've got something powerful," she said.
"To receive thousands and thousands of emails from people saying that they've been touched ... saying that they'll never eat octopus again," Ehrlich marveled.
"The way that it's been received has been incredibly empowering. And yeah, it makes you believe in yourself."