Lessons under the sea, and an ode to coexistence

'My Octopus Teacher’ is about a mystical relationship between a man and an octopus

The Academy award-winning Netflix Documentary My Octopus Teacher (2020), directed by Craig Foster, entails the richly documented personal experience of a human being with an octopus in its marine ecosystem, and what it teaches him about coexistence.

As a young documentary filmmaker, Craig Foster studies tribes in the deserts of the Kalahari for one of his projects. When he shoots for The Great Dance (2000), he documents the lives of tribes who have expertise in tracking animals for food in a harsh desert landscape. This existing harmony in an ecosystem where humans do not jump to the top of a food chain through violent methods fascinates him.

He revisits his childhood memories of free diving in the marine kelp forests of the shallow coastal waters of his hometown in South Africa. Exploring each promontory by the sea, each dive makes him realise that a holistic understanding of an ecosystem is possible when it is experienced as a natural inhabitant.

With practice and perseverance, Craig learns to swim for long periods of time underwater without the need of heavy equipment. Craig points out that the advantage of free diving underwater is that we get to explore the whole marine world in three dimensions.

During one of these free dives, he comes across an unusual rock-like object covered with shells and marine life remnants, lying on the ocean floor. He patiently observes the rock, watching it move slowly with caution. The object is stationary for a while and shows no sign of movement. Suddenly it unfurls, the shells fall off dramatically and an eight-legged creature emerges, changing to a brilliant purplish maroon colour, waving its tentacles to move across the ocean. The magnificent octopus has a bell-shaped head and two dreamy eyes. Watching Craig, it swims away hastily in fear and Craig’s mind is awestruck at its methods of disguise.

After several days pass by, the octopus realises that the new guest in her ecosystem is not a predator, but a cordial visitor. Initially she is folded up in the crevice of a rock which she uses as her den, extremely cautious and aware. Craig tries to strike conversation through use of objects in the beginning. He keeps a camera in her vicinity on the ocean floor. She reflects the curiosity of her guest by sneaking in without his presence and touching the objects. She builds up the courage to finally interact with her guest directly and extends her tentacles, feeling Craig’s arms, his face, his chest. Soon, just like a frightened child understands the warmth of a stranger’s gesture of love, the octopus starts to feel safe around Craig’s presence. Patience deepens their relationship over time.

What follows is a mystical relationship between two species who want to share secrets from their own world. Craig notes the changes in his own behaviour as a result of his interactions with the octopus. Once back on land, he studies existing valuable scientific documentation like journal articles and papers written by marine biologists about the octopus.

Through a rigorous routine of practice and study, he develops a unique method of documenting his own experience. A voiceover based narrative with exquisite photography and sharp editing invites us into a dialogue with the marine ecosystem.

During his daily interactions with the octopus, Craig realises that his soul is slowly dissolving into the moral values of this new ecosystem. In Craig’s own words, "What she taught me was to feel that you are a part of the place, and not a visitor."

The octopus is a totem of nature representing its role as a balance keeper and preserver of the wilderness. Millions of such totems exist in nature, yet to be discovered and studied. We learn from the film that, without an ecosystem there is no room for a species to thrive and without a species there is no propagation of a true experience.