South African excellence was on display at the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles last night with the acclaimed Netflix documentary, My Octopus Teacher, winning an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature Category.
The documentary is set in the False Bay area in Cape Town and focusses on the intimate relationship between, independent film maker, Craig Foster and an Octopus, coming together in the Atlantic Ocean.
South Africa has an abundance of marine bio-diversity – is host to many endemic species and thousands of kilometers of kelp forest – and through My Octopus Teacher, millions of viewers around the world can see just how amazing and how beautiful, South Africa’s unique ocean life is.
“Congratulations to the My Octopus Teacher production team and cast for representing South Africa with such passion and pride whilst showing the world our beauty from a different perspective,” commented South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona.
Also read: South African ‘My Octopus Teacher’ wins Bafta for Best Documentary
“As a country South Africa is the 3rd most biodiverse county in the world, we have so much to offer for travellers, and My Octopus Teacher simply showcases to the world, South Africa’s diverse and unique biodiverse offerings.”
The False Bay area in Cape Town is home to the South Africa’s largest Naval Base in Simonstown and also features fishing harbours, beaches, yacht clubs and coastal nature reserves.
South African Tourism recently engaged in a partnership agreement with Netflix South Africa that focusses on promoting the country through local productions.
“We know that 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,” concluded Ntshona.
South African Tourism recently caught up with My Octopus Teacher producer, Pippa Ehrlich.
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