SA documentary feature makes waves at the Oscars
“What we did have is one of the most exquisitely beautiful environments on earth, which the world hadn’t seen before.”
South African excellence was on display at the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles on April 25, with acclaimed Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher winning an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Set in the False Bay area in Cape Town, the documentary focuses on the intimate relationship between independent filmmaker Craig Foster and an octopus coming together in the Atlantic Ocean.
The award was made all the more special, as co-director Pippa Ehrlich is a former learner of St Andrew’s School for Girls. The award was received by Ehrlich and co-director James Reed.
St Andrew’s congratulated her on her achievement. South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona congratulated the production team and cast too.
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“They represented South Africa with such passion and pride while showing the world our beauty from a different perspective.”
In an interview with South African Tourism, Ehrlich said she was excited.
“I feel motivated and incredibly grateful that everything has worked out the way it has,” said Ehrlich. “It’s very hard to explain, we started with this tiny team, really just Craig and I with an edit suite in his attic. “What we did have is one of the most exquisitely beautiful environments on earth, which the world hadn’t seen before.”
Ehrlich said it was a privilege to show it to the world. Ntshona said South Africa is the third most biodiverse county in the world and highlighted that the country has so much to offer to travellers.
“My Octopus Teacher simply showcases to the world South Africa’s diverse and unique biodiverse offerings.”
The False Bay area is home to South Africa’s largest naval base in Simonstown and also features fishing harbours, beaches, yacht clubs and coastal nature reserves. South African Tourism recently partnered with Netflix South Africa to focus on promoting the country through local productions.
“We know films, documentaries and series play an important part in shaping audiences and their perceptions about a destination, so if there are more local productions that can be viewed globally, the better for our country and the tourism sector,” explained Ntshona.
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