When Craig Foster began diving daily in the icy waters of South Africa, he did not expect to become friends with a female octopus.

My Octopus Teacher is a Netflix Original documentary film that follows Craig on his daily visits to the kelp forests of False Bay in Cape Town. There he meets an octopus who slowly and hesitantly extends a tentacle and greets him or perhaps reads him. In any case, she accepts him.

From that day on, the two of them meet daily and the octopus allows her cinematographer “friend” to follow her around and shows him her world. They play, chase and learn from each other in a documentary film different from the others.

Although it is obvious that they have developed strong ties with each other, Craig’s choice to not intervene nor help his “friend” in the difficulties she has to face at the bottom of the sea, is a very important element of the plot and a very important lesson he gives us regarding the relationship we need to build with nature.

The beautiful story of a man’s coexistence with an extremely intelligent creature, ties in beautifully with the stunning shots from the underwater forest of South Africa in need of environmental protection.