Tokyo Theater Drops Greek-American’s Oscar Winning Documentary “The Cove”

Greek-American director Louie Psihoyos

Greek-American director Louie Psihoyos was brave enough to make a film in Japan about the sale and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, but in the country where this brutal tradition takes place it seems that protesters have achieved to stop the screening of the Oscar-winning documentary. Reuters reported that “the first cinema due to show “The Cove” in Japan has bowed to pressure from right-wing protest groups and pulled the documentary from theaters.”

“It’s unfortunate that a few extremists scared one of the Tokyo venues from showing ‘The Cove,’ but I’m confident that the Japanese people will now be even more curious to know what these few people are trying so hard to hide. The extremists themselves are scared of the truth being known because what they are trying to hide cannot survive debate,” director Louis Psihoyos said in a statement.

Unplugged, the distributor in Japan says that at this time other cinemas nationwide still plan to show the documentary this summer. A movie theater in Shibuya, central Tokyo, had planned to start showing the Oscar-winning, anti-dolphin-hunting film beginning June 26.

In a recent interview with Greek Reporter Louis Psihoyos had stated “I still get death threats to this day”.