‘Patrick and the Whale’ Explores Communication, Emotional Connection Between Human and Sea Giant
variety.comEd Meza @edmezavar In “Patrick and the Whale,” director and editor Mark Fletcher explores an area not often examined by wildlife filmmakers: the emotional connections that bind sperm whales and their ability not only to communicate to one another, but also, seemingly, to humans.
Produced by Austria’s Terra Mater Studios and screening in the Zurich Film Festival’s Focus Competition, the film centers on Patrick Dykstra, a passionate wildlife explorer, BAFTA-winning cameraman and host of the Discovery series “Chasing Ocean Giants,” and his relationships with two female sperm whales.
Employing stunning underwater footage, the film follows Dykstra as he delves into the fascinating nature of sperm whales, seeking to better understand their intelligence and complexity while also highlighting their fraught relationship with humankind.
Dykstra, a former corporate lawyer who ditched his office job to explore the oceans, initially experienced a close encounter with one of the whales off the coast of the Caribbean island of Dominica, where she approached him, coming within touching distance and pulsing him with her sonar in what appeared to Dykstra to be an effort to communicate with him.
Read more on variety.com