Audience Member
I also admit an interest; an interest in compassion, healing and reconciliation. I was there, at arm?s length, watching the glorious beginnings of this wondrous project unfold. Le Marten doth protest too much! The Kindersley, as the film?s director, follows in the footsteps of Bunel, Fellini, Welles, and John Huston. He flourishes his cinematic canvas in broad vivid strokes of metatronic colors and humanity, enveloping us in time space mind reality with the whale dreamers (on land and in the sea). For that we are all grateful. Le Marten?s early disengagement from the all intensive, life consuming art that is filmmaking, may explain his confused gallmaufrey pic-lit-crit of his own film (a gift from him to us ? the global film audiences that will enjoy this film forever ? and our friends the whales).
My only concern is this: First and foremost, this film, while a classic in its genre, could have been a romantic comedy bromance ? two Etonians in search of love, adventure, and alternative realties through shared experiences with dolphins and whales (and dare I say? girls)! What we have instead is a sobering assessment of where Gaia stands (floats) at the beginning of the 21th Century. The Kindersely strongly inserts himself into the narrative and story setting, and we are gladdened for his guidance through the tricky waters of human cetacean reunification, and global indigenous rights.
While I have zero waited years for a forum to review this film, ala Le Marten, I have been haunted since I first read his pic-lit-crit of ?Whaledreamers,? some months back? You see I was there also, with The Kindersley, and Le Marten, on two continents and a mid-Pacific island chain. The denouement of these two brilliant film producers began nearly 10 years prior to Le Marten?s 2009 review here, during that time I witnessed very disconcerting behavior that overstepped the bounds of artistic integrity, but never did The Kindersley blink or waiver in his strength and conviction to see this masterpiece brought to the screen for us the audience, and for the ages? Whaledreamer?s stellar line up of talent from all walks of life, give us a glimpse into the rarified world that is The Kindersley. Le Marten, to his credit, has given the world a rarified gem of color rushing across the screen from the surface of the land and depths of the sea. As we watch, in awed, stunned silence, we hear the whales call to us, ?Come Home!? Ultimately, although this film involves one man?s journey to redemption (The Kindersley), albeit without his greatest friend in this life, (Le Marten ? left, at his request, on the cutting room floor), the film expands into the redemption of this small planet in time, with the help of our friends the whales. Although, Le Marten?s investment loss may have piled up on ?Whaledreamers,? the audience must thank him for his generous gift to art and humanity. Furthermore, Le Marten?s efforts to galvanize world opinion zero stops at ?Whaledreamer?s,? he has gone on in further arts and media projects to assist our friends in the Cetacean (I was also there ? Heart).! For all of this, we have Le Marten and The Kindersley to be thankful for. Can we now get on to healing our wounds, psyche, spirits, and sculpt towards saying ?Yes To Yummy,? forever? There? Ive?s said it, and I am complete.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/29/23
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Audience Member
Important, urgent and real but has it's shortcomings.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/31/23
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Audience Member
Interesting in parts, but I was rather disappointed in this documentary. It really doesn't focus on whales all that much, and I felt that the focus of the piece was too sporadic for me to really be engaged in it. I appreciate their efforts, but I don't feel that the message of the film was communicated as well as it could have been.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
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Audience Member
Want to see this film!
Love Hilde k.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
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Audience Member
I admit an interest; I am the Executive Producer of Whaledreamers and have waited many years to find an outlet for my review.
First and foremost, the film contains so many deceits and lies that the truth is so hidden as to be invisible. I know this as the main instigator, a co-organiser and participant in the Gathering as well as the many journeys I made to all parts of the world to prepare thios project. You will find my name in small letters and my face occasionally in the film; this has always been contrary to my wishes as I wants nothing to appear: this is due to the hijacking of the story by the Kindersly for his own maniacal purposes (yes, he is maniacal, we shared the same analyst)
This film was always to be about whales, the Mirning, other tribal groups associated with whales and the essence of the Gathering. Instead it is a confused gallimaufrey of the Kindersly's fragile ego and desire to be the next dolphin messiah. The film you see now has been massively diluted of his voice, face and general interference. It has made little difference. The Kindersly has utterly failed to keep his word to anyone, particularly Julian and myself. I know there are others whom he has also ripped-off.
I would like to apologise to all those who may have expected an intelligent and meaningful incursion into a wonderful and magical world with relevance today; instead you have one man's ego wank. I was weak, I admit it; I failed to stop him running off with the whole project into which I invested some £500,000. I dread to think what poor Julian has said goodbye to.
The KIndersly remains wanted in both America and Australia. He is understood to be in hiding in Indonesia in case you also want to have words with him. However, I do know that like a dog, he always returns to his own vomit, so try and catch him in Byron Bay soon. Do not give this man any money, he is a consumate con-man.
There, I've said it. Thannk you for reading. If you want the true story. my email is above.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
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Audience Member
Putrid, ill-conceived, poorly directed, badly edited, insubstantial, implausible, confused, tiresome, under-researched, pointlessly divisive, vomitously sentimental, wince inducing, infuriating, hopelessly biased propagandist drivel of the trashiest, crappiest kind. A miasma of misinformation, a pathetic attempt to mislead the rational, and an insult to socially sensitive, ethical, moral, environmentally responsible humans everywhere. A tribute to the worst hazards and potential evils of the otherwise gloriously successful and invaluable medium of film. Some good shots of whales.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/09/23
Full Review
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