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Clips from My Octopus Teacher

[waves crashing]

"[waves crashing]"

My Octopus Teacher

[seagull squawking]

"[seagull squawking]"

My Octopus Teacher

[female chanting playing]

"[female chanting playing]"

My Octopus Teacher

[man] A lot of people say that an octopus is like an alien.

"[man] A lot of people say that an octopus is like an alien."

My Octopus Teacher

But the strange thing is, as you get closer to them,

"But the strange thing is, as you get closer to them,"

My Octopus Teacher

you realize that we're very similar in a lot of ways.

"you realize that we're very similar in a lot of ways."

My Octopus Teacher

You're stepping into this completely different world.

"You're stepping into this completely different world."

My Octopus Teacher

Such an incredible feeling.

"Such an incredible feeling."

My Octopus Teacher

And you feel you're on the brink of something extraordinary.

"And you feel you're on the brink of something extraordinary."

My Octopus Teacher

[upbeat orchestral music playing]

"[upbeat orchestral music playing]"

My Octopus Teacher

But you realize that there's a line that can't be crossed.

"But you realize that there's a line that can't be crossed."

My Octopus Teacher

[tense music playing]

"[tense music playing]"

My Octopus Teacher

It's quite a long time ago now, that day when it all started.

"It's quite a long time ago now, that day when it all started."

My Octopus Teacher

[thunder rumbling]

"[thunder rumbling]"

My Octopus Teacher

[seagulls squawking]

"[seagulls squawking]"

My Octopus Teacher

This place on the tip of Africa is known as the Cape of Storms.

"This place on the tip of Africa is known as the Cape of Storms."

My Octopus Teacher

My childhood memories are completely dominated

"My childhood memories are completely dominated"

My Octopus Teacher

by the rocky shore, the intertidal and the kelp forest.

"by the rocky shore, the intertidal and the kelp forest."

My Octopus Teacher

We had this little wooden bungalow,

"We had this little wooden bungalow,"

My Octopus Teacher

literally below the high-water mark.

"literally below the high-water mark."

My Octopus Teacher

So when those huge storms used to come in,

"So when those huge storms used to come in,"

My Octopus Teacher

the ocean used to smash the doors down and fill up the bottom of the house.

"the ocean used to smash the doors down and fill up the bottom of the house."

My Octopus Teacher

So it was incredibly exciting as a child

"So it was incredibly exciting as a child"

My Octopus Teacher

to literally live in the force of that giant Atlantic Ocean.

"to literally live in the force of that giant Atlantic Ocean."

My Octopus Teacher

Most of my childhood was spent in the rock pools,

"Most of my childhood was spent in the rock pools,"

My Octopus Teacher

diving in the shallow kelp forest.

"diving in the shallow kelp forest."

My Octopus Teacher

That's what I most loved to do.

"That's what I most loved to do."

My Octopus Teacher

As an adult, I'd been separated from that.

"As an adult, I'd been separated from that."

My Octopus Teacher

And that was fine at first.

"And that was fine at first."

My Octopus Teacher

Until I went to the central Kalahari about 20 years ago.

"Until I went to the central Kalahari about 20 years ago."

My Octopus Teacher

I was making a film called The Great Dance with my brother.

"I was making a film called The Great Dance with my brother."

My Octopus Teacher

And then I met these men

"And then I met these men"

My Octopus Teacher

who were probably some of the best trackers in the world.

"who were probably some of the best trackers in the world."

My Octopus Teacher

To watch these men...

"To watch these men..."

My Octopus Teacher

go into the incredible, subtle signs in nature,

"go into the incredible, subtle signs in nature,"

My Octopus Teacher

things that my eye couldn't even see,

"things that my eye couldn't even see,"

My Octopus Teacher

and then follow them, sometimes for hours,

"and then follow them, sometimes for hours,"

My Octopus Teacher

and find hidden animals in the landscape

"and find hidden animals in the landscape"

My Octopus Teacher

was just extraordinary to witness.

"was just extraordinary to witness."

My Octopus Teacher

I mean, they just were inside of the natural world.

"I mean, they just were inside of the natural world."

My Octopus Teacher

And I could feel I was outside.

"And I could feel I was outside."

My Octopus Teacher

And I had this deep longing to be inside that world.

"And I had this deep longing to be inside that world."

My Octopus Teacher

I went through two years of absolute hell.

"I went through two years of absolute hell."

My Octopus Teacher

[indistinct chattering]

"[indistinct chattering]"

My Octopus Teacher

I had been working hard for a long time,

"I had been working hard for a long time,"

My Octopus Teacher

I'd just worn myself out.

"I'd just worn myself out."

My Octopus Teacher

I hadn't slept properly for months.

"I hadn't slept properly for months."

My Octopus Teacher

My family was suffering.

"My family was suffering."

My Octopus Teacher

And I was getting sick from all the pressure.

"And I was getting sick from all the pressure."

My Octopus Teacher

My mind couldn't deal with all that stuff.

"My mind couldn't deal with all that stuff."

My Octopus Teacher

And I didn't wanna see a camera or an edit suite ever again.

"And I didn't wanna see a camera or an edit suite ever again."

My Octopus Teacher

I couldn't even face that.

"I couldn't even face that."

My Octopus Teacher

Your great purpose in life is now...

"Your great purpose in life is now..."

My Octopus Teacher

just in pieces.

"just in pieces."

My Octopus Teacher

And you've got this young child that's growing up.

"And you've got this young child that's growing up."

My Octopus Teacher

Tom.

"Tom."

My Octopus Teacher

I just couldn't, in that state, be a good father to my son.

"I just couldn't, in that state, be a good father to my son."

My Octopus Teacher

I had to have a radical change.

"I had to have a radical change."

My Octopus Teacher

And I took inspiration from my childhood,

"And I took inspiration from my childhood,"

My Octopus Teacher

and I took inspiration from these master trackers

"and I took inspiration from these master trackers"

My Octopus Teacher

I worked with in the Kalahari.

"I worked with in the Kalahari."

My Octopus Teacher

And the only way I knew how to do it was to...

"And the only way I knew how to do it was to..."

My Octopus Teacher

be in this ocean.

"be in this ocean."

My Octopus Teacher

In the beginning, it's a hard thing to get in the water.

"In the beginning, it's a hard thing to get in the water."

My Octopus Teacher

It's one of the wildest, most scary places to swim on the planet.

"It's one of the wildest, most scary places to swim on the planet."

My Octopus Teacher

The water drops to as low as eight, nine degrees Celsius.

"The water drops to as low as eight, nine degrees Celsius."

My Octopus Teacher

The cold takes your breath away.

"The cold takes your breath away."

My Octopus Teacher

And you just have to relax.

"And you just have to relax."

My Octopus Teacher

And then you'll get this beautiful window of time

"And then you'll get this beautiful window of time"

My Octopus Teacher

for 10, 15 minutes.

"for 10, 15 minutes."

My Octopus Teacher

Suddenly...

"Suddenly..."

My Octopus Teacher

everything feels okay.

"everything feels okay."

My Octopus Teacher

The cold upgrades the brain because you're getting this flood of chemicals

"The cold upgrades the brain because you're getting this flood of chemicals"

My Octopus Teacher

every time you immerse in that cold water.

"every time you immerse in that cold water."

My Octopus Teacher

Your whole body comes alive.

"Your whole body comes alive."

My Octopus Teacher

And then, as your body adapts, it just becomes easier and easier.

"And then, as your body adapts, it just becomes easier and easier."

My Octopus Teacher

[gentle orchestral music plays]

"[gentle orchestral music plays]"

My Octopus Teacher

And eventually...

"And eventually..."

My Octopus Teacher

after about a year...

"after about a year..."

My Octopus Teacher

you start to crave the cold.

"you start to crave the cold."

My Octopus Teacher

[breathes deeply]

"[breathes deeply]"

My Octopus Teacher

What's so amazing about this environment

"What's so amazing about this environment"

My Octopus Teacher

is you're in a three-dimensional forest,

"is you're in a three-dimensional forest,"

My Octopus Teacher

and you can jump off the top and go wherever you want.

"and you can jump off the top and go wherever you want."

My Octopus Teacher

You're flying, basically.

"You're flying, basically."

My Octopus Teacher

[piano music playing]

"[piano music playing]"

My Octopus Teacher

You might as well be on another planet.

"You might as well be on another planet."

My Octopus Teacher

You naturally just get more relaxed in the water.

"You naturally just get more relaxed in the water."

My Octopus Teacher

You get to be able to hold your breath for longer.

"You get to be able to hold your breath for longer."

My Octopus Teacher

Having a scuba tank in a thick kelp forest

"Having a scuba tank in a thick kelp forest"

My Octopus Teacher

is not optimal for me.

"is not optimal for me."

My Octopus Teacher

I want to be more like an amphibious animal.

"I want to be more like an amphibious animal."

My Octopus Teacher

Instinctively, I knew not to wear a wet suit.

"Instinctively, I knew not to wear a wet suit."

My Octopus Teacher

If you really wanna get close to...

"If you really wanna get close to..."

My Octopus Teacher

an environment like this,

"an environment like this,"

My Octopus Teacher

it helps tremendously to have no barrier to that environment.

"it helps tremendously to have no barrier to that environment."

My Octopus Teacher

And I suddenly realized I've got energy to take images and film again...

"And I suddenly realized I've got energy to take images and film again..."

My Octopus Teacher

and then picked up my camera again

"and then picked up my camera again"

My Octopus Teacher

and started doing the thing I love and what I know.

"and started doing the thing I love and what I know."

My Octopus Teacher

[piano music soars]

"[piano music soars]"

My Octopus Teacher

The animals are extremely exotic and strange.

"The animals are extremely exotic and strange."

My Octopus Teacher

It's, like, much more extreme than our maddest science fiction.

"It's, like, much more extreme than our maddest science fiction."

My Octopus Teacher

I remember that day when it all started.

"I remember that day when it all started."

My Octopus Teacher

I found this very, very special area

"I found this very, very special area"

My Octopus Teacher

that is protected with a big piece of kelp forest,

"that is protected with a big piece of kelp forest,"

My Octopus Teacher

'cause the forest itself actually dampens the swell.

"'cause the forest itself actually dampens the swell."

My Octopus Teacher

And the whole forest around there

"And the whole forest around there"

My Octopus Teacher

is absolutely murky, and you can't see a thing.

"is absolutely murky, and you can't see a thing."

My Octopus Teacher

And in this little 200-meter patch, you can dive

"And in this little 200-meter patch, you can dive"

My Octopus Teacher

and observe.

"and observe."

My Octopus Teacher

And it's an incredible place.

"And it's an incredible place."

My Octopus Teacher

And I remember there was this strange shape to my left

"And I remember there was this strange shape to my left"

My Octopus Teacher

and just going down...

"and just going down..."

My Octopus Teacher

and seeing this really strange thing.

"and seeing this really strange thing."

My Octopus Teacher

[delicate piano music playing]

"[delicate piano music playing]"

My Octopus Teacher

The fish even seemed to be confused.

"The fish even seemed to be confused."

My Octopus Teacher

And then, suddenly...

"And then, suddenly..."

My Octopus Teacher

[gentle orchestral music plays]

"[gentle orchestral music plays]"

My Octopus Teacher

At the time, I didn't know

"At the time, I didn't know"

My Octopus Teacher

I'd witnessed something extraordinary.

"I'd witnessed something extraordinary."

My Octopus Teacher

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