My Octopus Teacher, heartwarming nature film, wins best documentary Oscar

Film about human-octopus bonding in an undersea kelp forest takes the top documentary prize at the Academy Awards

My Octopus Teacher, the heartwarming story of a human-octopus friendship, has won the Oscar for best documentary at the 93rd Academy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles.

Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, My Octopus Teacher follows film-maker and diver Craig Foster as he explores an underwater kelp forest near Cape Town, South Africa. Foster appears to bond with an octopus he encounters living in the area.

The film has already won a string of festival and critics’ awards, as well as taking both the Bafta and Producers Guild awards for best documentary, making it a firm favourite for the Oscar. However, it had to defeat a strong lineup, including criminal justice system testimony Time, disability documentary Crip Camp, and corruption investigation Collective.

Contributor

Andrew Pulver

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Guardian film Colette wins Oscar for best documentary short
Film about a former resistance fighter travelling to visit the concentration camp where her brother died wins prize at the 93rd Academy Awards

Andrew Pulver

26, Apr, 2021 @1:35 AM

Article image
Youn Yuh-jung wins best supporting actress Oscar for Minari
South Korean follows her Bafta win with an Academy Award for Minari, in which she played a ‘grandma’ living on a farm in Arkansas

Andrew Pulver

26, Apr, 2021 @1:54 AM

Article image
Frances McDormand wins third best actress Oscar for Nomadland
McDormand Academy award for her role in Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland, second only to Katharine Hepburn in number of best actress Oscars

Andrew Pulver

26, Apr, 2021 @3:12 AM

Article image
Nomadland wins best picture Oscar as Chloé Zhao makes history with best director win
Film about retirees struggling to make ends meet takes the top prize at the Academy Awards, while Chloé Zhao becomes first woman of colour to take the directing prize

Andrew Pulver

26, Apr, 2021 @3:06 AM

Article image
Another Round, starring Mads Mikkelsen, wins best international feature Oscar
Alcohol-fuelled Danish film directed by Thomas Vinterberg takes the top prize for non-English language film at the Academy Awards

Andrew Pulver

26, Apr, 2021 @12:22 AM

Article image
20 Feet from Stardom wins best documentary Oscar

Music-industry documentary takes the Academy award with a study of backing singers' working lives

Andrew Pulver

03, Mar, 2014 @2:38 AM

Article image
Searching for Sugar Man wins best documentary Oscar

Searching for Sugar Man, about the search for folk icon Sixto Rodriguez, wins the best documentary prize

Andrew Pulver

25, Feb, 2013 @2:44 AM

Article image
Oscars release first shortlists for 2021 Academy Awards
Boys State, MLK/FBI and Crip Camp among contenders as categories announced include best documentary and best international film

Andrew Pulver

10, Feb, 2021 @1:38 PM

Article image
Edward Snowden documentary Citizenfour wins Oscar
Laura Poitras’ film about Edward Snowden and the NSA spying revelations carries off Academy award for non-fiction films

Andrew Pulver

23, Feb, 2015 @3:51 AM

Article image
Chloé Zhao becomes first woman of colour to win best director Oscar
With victory for elegiac road movie Nomadland, Chinese-American film-maker becomes second ever woman to receive directing Academy Award

Catherine Shoard

26, Apr, 2021 @12:59 AM