She survives but loses an arm in the process. This is especially difficult when the octopus is dramatically chased by a shark. Over the course of a year of daily diving, though he feels protective, he refrains from interfering in her and the other animals' lives. Eventually she sits on his chests and lets him pet her. She seems to accept him as a benign seafarer and crawls up his hand cautiously. In his daily dives, Foster's patience and doggedness with the octopus is rewarded. The eight-armed, liquid creature is a plucky and resourceful predator, a master of disguise, and supremely self-reliant. In this unbalanced state, he starts diving alone in the chilly waters of the kelp forest to relax and escape, and soon spots the title's MY OCTOPUS TEACHER.

Although the documentary isn't judgemental, it confirms the power of nature.Documentary-maker Craig Foster doesn't list the troubles that drove him from his beloved filmmaking to recharge on the South African coast of his childhood, but he describes himself as unfit to be near his son during this period. From the octopus to the starfish and plankton, they are all integral to the balance of life in the ocean.

The documentary also shows the realities of wildlife, which can be quite tough. Thanks to this learning quest, the diver renewed with man's deep nature: a defenseless being, thrust into a world that he cannot control. Slowly, Craig Foster and the viewer start to feel invested in the adventures of this touching animal. Additionally, the challenges of filming underwater force the diver to adapt to his environment. My Octopus Teacher is a new kind of nature documentary since it invites the filmmaker to take part in the environment, rather than just observe it. Craig Foster, who did not know anything about octopuses, gets to know his new friend better every day. Slowly, a certain bond was forged between the two. Without interfering in the daily life of the octopus, he established a relationship built on trust, and let it show him its world. Rather than leaving his camera and passively filming the wildlife like most animal documentaries, Craig Foster decided to take part in it. With its 2000 suction cups, hunting techniques, surprising regeneration skills and ability to get emotionally attached, the octopus is far from the insensitive animal we tend to view it as. Craig Foster depicts its days for a year. Very little documentation exists on this mysterious animal. Day after day, he wins the trust of the octopus and begins his observations. He meets the most fascinating creature of the ocean while ensuring to control his movements, hold his breath and respect the animals, without appropriate equipment to get as close as possible. Under the waves, Craig Foster learned to adapt to life underwater to get as close as possible to a real depiction. It is thanks to these successive dives, always at the same place, that he was able to observe the inhabitants of that tiny world. Craig Foster and his cameraman Roger Horrocks plunge viewers into a world which remains very mysterious to humans. Armed with his mask and snorkel, he dived to observe the evolution of the aquatic jungle complete with fish, crabs, coral and sharks. This filmmaker, who grew up in the region, wanted to reconnect with nature in extreme conditions.

The title My Octopus Teacher describes exactly Craig Foster's mission - to let this curious octopus welcome him into its underwater world. Can a human bond with an octopus? In the documentary My Octopus Teacher, available on Netflix and winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, Craig Foster dives every day for a year into the waters of South Africa to meet this fascinating creature.

My octopus teacher netflix