this article is a culmination of my attempts to address my deep emotional reaction to My Octopus Teacher (MOT). This reaction does not seem inappropriate considering that the documentary traces the bond that filmmaker Craig Foster establishes with an octopus that goes through its stages of life, experiences some trials and tribulations, and then (spoiler alert) dies. Talking-head footage of Foster plays a significant role in establishing his emotional vulnerability arising from his relationship with the octopus, and audiences can accordingly empathize with Foster because they are exposed to nonverbal communication that is “often more subtle and more effective than verbal communication and can convey meaning better than words” (Bambaeeroo and Shokrpour 53).
However, my particular emotional response was quite severe. For a week after viewing, I carried a heavy sadness, and I displayed some physical symptoms of grief: bouts of unexpected tearfulness, tightness in the chest,...
