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It should be understood right from the start the Yupiks\u2019 whale hunts are not illegal. They have a yearly quota from the International Whaling Commission that they scrupulously observe. That did not matter to environmental extremist Paul Watson (founder of Sea Shepherd), who incited his followers to post hateful comments on Apassingok\u2019s social media accounts, even though the Yupik hunter was still a minor.<\/p>\r\n
![\"One](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/One-with-the-Whale1.png\")
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\u00a9Photo by Agra & Ina<\/p>\r\n
\u00a9Photo by Apassingok Family
This will sound familiar to the residents of the Japanese coastal village of Taiji. They have endured similar vitriol from protesters inspired by the film \u201cThe Cove<\/strong>\u201d and enflamed by Sea Shepherd, as Keiko Yagi documented in \u201cBehind \u2018The Cove<\/strong>.\u2019\u201d \u201cOne with the Whale<\/strong>\u201d captures a another nasty clash of cultures, but from the indigenous Alaskan perspective. Arguably, the situation is more precarious for the Yupik, who always live or die according to the hunt.
To put the matter in prospective, Chelkowski and Wickens explain Apassingok and his fellow high school students are all granted ten annual \u201csubsistence\u201d absences. That is expressively to accommodate their families\u2019 need to hunt, fish, or gather wild produce to survive.
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Poor Apassingok never looks very comfortable during the film. He is somewhat awkward expressing himself and deeply confused by the attacks. It is hard to think of a film, narrative or documentary, in which social media plays a positive role in society. \u201cOne with the Whale<\/strong>\u201d is no exception.
The film clearly identifies Watson as the instigator of Apassingok\u2019s trolls, but he never appears on-camera to address his conduct. Frankly, some viewers might be frustrated that Chelkowski and Wickens never confront any of the death threat posters. The film certainly addresses the controversy and its impact on Apassingok and his family in detail. Yet, there is also a greater ethnographic dimension to \u201cOne with the Whale<\/strong>\u201d than “Behind ‘The Cove<\/strong>.'”<\/p>\r\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/One-With-the-Whale2.png\")
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In fact, they filmmakers devote considerable time to Apassingok\u2019s closeted sister, who moves to Anchorage (\u201cthe big city\u201d), where she feels more comfortable expressing her sexual orientation. Aesthetically, the co-directors-co-cinematographers are much more inclined towards quiet observation than point-counterpoint debate. This is an undeniably well-intentioned film, but the reserve of its participants inevitably affects the viewing experience.
In some ways, \u201cA Whale of a Tale<\/strong>\u201d is also part nature film, because it often discusses climate change, which the hunters blame for dwindling game (not just whales, but also seals and walruses). Yet, the subarctic landscape is often quite beautiful. Viewers truly get a sense of St. Lawrence\u2019s isolation from the island\u2019s ice and tundra.
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\u201cOne with the Whale<\/strong>\u201d certainly sways viewers sympathies in favor of Apassingok and his Yupik community. The filmmakers always respect their subjects, as you would expect, considering Apassingok\u2019s mother, Aakapak Susan Apassingok, co-produced. Recommended for its sensitive depiction of the Yupik people and the issues it raises, \u201cOne with the Whale\u201d airs Tuesday (4\/23) on most PBS stations nationwide.
Grade: B<\/p>\r\n