BOP Film host “Soul in the Sea”

BOP Film host “Soul in the Sea”

29 June 2016

BOP Film in conjunction with The Night Owl Cinema are hosting a special fundraiser viewing of Amy Taylor’s award nominated film ‘Soul in the Sea’ on 7th July at Papamoa’s ‘Secret Civic Cinema’.

Photo by Glen Simmers

Soul in the Sea is the moving true story of one woman’s quest to befriend and protect Moko, a wayward, extroverted wild dolphin.

Moko’s arrival in a small New Zealand coastal town changes Kirsty Carrington’s life irrevocably, and she devotes herself to protecting him. She is joined by Errin Hallen; a dredging boat skipper who led a solitary existence until Moko found him, and Grant Duffield; a young man with a fear of the water, who feels compelled to follow Moko into his element.

As Kirsty and the rest of the community fall in love with Moko, his popularity peaks and his astonishing antics attract worldwide attention. Kirsty worries that he will suffer the same fate as other dolphins whose friendliness caused their early deaths. When conflict over Moko’s fate erupts, Kirsty finds a new source of strength: a connection to her Maori heritage that she had never known.

Filmed in the last six months of Moko’s life, Soul in the Sea is a journey of discovery, loss, and resolution. It’s a love story that breaks through the invisible wall between people and animals, celebrating the incredible experience of friendship with a lone wild dolphin.

Film maker Amy Taylor was reading a newspaper one day when she came across a photo of Moko flying through the air with a stolen boogie board, the leash held in his mouth. She’d heard there was a “friendly” dolphin that had been spending time with people off the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, but after seeing that photo she was really keen to find him. Not long after that he turned up in Whakatane, an hour from her home in Papamoa.

Amy says “Even with my background as a marine biologist with years spent filming dolphins and whales I was still stunned by the experience. It was an easy decision to start filming, and for the next five months I mostly lived in my van, spending up to ten hours in or on the water each day. It didn’t take long to identify the main people around Moko and I was able to follow Kirsty on her mission to be Moko’s Minder, along with the other locals who became part of Moko’s “human pod”.”

What unfolded was totally unexpected as Amy found herself amazed at the impact Moko had on so many people, and the huge amount of love and respect shown for him after his death. She was kept busy producing, directing, shooting and editing this film over a period of three years.

To book a ticket to see ‘Soul in the Sea’ go to http://bopfilm.nz/events/booking/1 or email info@bopfilm.nz . This event helps raise funds for BOP Film projects.

Tickets: $15 adult, $10 student/senior

Date: 7.00pm, Thursday 7 July 2016

Location: Papamoa's 'Secret Civic Cinema' - details on ticket

Website www.bopfilm.nz

ENDS

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