Phuket location change for free screenings of The Cove documentary

PHUKET: The award-winning documentary The Cove will be screened at two locations this week to raise awareness of how dolphins are caught at the Taiji Cove in Japan and sold for use in dolphinaria around the world.

Organizers confirmed today that the film would not be shown twice at Central Festival (story here), but will be shown once at the popular shopping complex and once at Prince of Songkla University (PSU).

The first showing will be at PSU, Building 7, Level 5, at 2pm on Thursday.

A second showing will be the same day at Central Festival in front of Starbucks at 5pm

Entry will be free, confirmed organizers.

The screenings of The Cove come as environmentalists continue their campaign against the opening of the Nemo Dolphinarium. The facility is currently under construction in Chalong, which upon opening will become the first dolphinarium in Phuket.

Organizers of the screening, including Sea Shepard Global and Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project, as well as Phuket community members, NGOs and universities are all calling on the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the Fisheries Department and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut to stop the opening of Nemo Dolphinarium.

“Dolphins are loved, and a symbol of our ocean’s beauty and health,” the press release said. “Displaying imprisoned, wild-caught animals says [that] Phuket doesn’t care about the ocean, but only about profit.”

The Cove received critical acclaim on its release in 2009 and won 25 film awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2010.

Although the movie carries a PG-13 rating, parents should note that it features graphic footage of dolphins being butchered while penned in the Taiji Cove, Japan.

According to Sea Shepherd Global, several of the six dolphins for the facility are being transported from the Ukraine, but were originally caught in Japan (story here).