The Oscar Speech THE COVE's Louie Psihoyos Couldn't Give

For some reason last night, Oscar telecast honchos cued the orchestra and cut the mic just as Oscar winning director Louie Psihoyos was about to speak (was it because activist Ric O'Barry unfurled a banner asking people to text "dolphin" to 44144 or was it because co-producer Fisher Stevens spoke first - only Oscar producers know for sure).

In any case, here is the text of Psihoyos' prepared remarks that the world didn't get to hear:

"We made this film to give the oceans a voice.

We told the story of The Cove because we witnessed a crime. Not just a crime against nature, but a crime against humanity.

We made this movie because through plundering, pollution and acidification from burning fossil fuels, ALL ocean life is in peril from the great whales to plankton which incidentally is responsible for half the oxygen in this theater.

Thank you, Black OPS Team for risking your lives in Japan -- and thank You Academy for shining the brightest lights in the world on THE COVE......

Japan, please see this movie for yourselves!  Domo Arigato!"

More from Psihoyos in our lengthy interview with him.

Comments

[Tanya]

What happens when you text dolphin to 44144? I want to, but didn't want to get charged $500 or something!

[Patrick]

Its a shame this guiy didn't get his speech in, his speech would have been more powerful than his text board...such a shame!

[Elizabeth]

When you text 44144 you are merely added to a list of updates - there is no charge, and you are not bombarded with propaganda. It's merely to keep you informed with info of what's happening now, and resources for you to look into should you choose to do so. I signed up back in August and have received maybe 5 or 6 updates.

[Marj]

Unfurling the banner may have gotten Louis cut off, but I understand that almost 40,000 people signed up for campaign updates since that happened yesterday...

[blair]

nice speech, especially the "half the oxygen in this theater" quip: make people know how connected they are to the problem; it's science you can breathe

but they cut him off because the oscars limit speeches to one speaker (unless you're hollywood-powerful or really ballsy and know to just ignore the orchestra), and Psihoyos wasn't the first one to use the mike

[panbaydah]

Hollywood is the double edge sword. Even though the movie "The Cove" is a very good movie and worth to earn Oscar, the reason the Hollywood gave Oscar to The Cove is for the sake of good image, good PR not because of they support the Nature or the Sea or the Wildlife. At the same time they want to please those Japs so that they get money from them. Don't forget Sony involvement in Hollywood. So I am not suprise they cut the speech.

[brozyzy]

Can we have a conversation about this without referring to people that live in Japan with a racist epitaph? I am in total support, but comments like this only hurt the cause. Let's take the high ground, please.

[kayo]

As a common Japanese I myself don't eat dolphins but I know that in this small village some people eats dolphin as their traditional local food. In my hands opinion dolphins are really cute and very friendly to human and I love them so I can't imagine to have them as a menu of dinner in my house but I understand there's a different culture even in this country and i think we need to think about the difference with some respect, like, people in India doesn't eat cow because they think cow is the simbol of the god, but they never asked us to stop to eat cow didn't they?
As for dolphin hunting, the Faeroe Islands in Denmark has similar tradition as you may know but seems only Japan got this criticism, I am wondering if racism toward colored-people might influence on this bashing-movement... I will watch this movie anyway when came to Japan which will be Mar or June.