Set in the once quiet seaside village of Taiji in Wakayama prefecture, A Whale of a Tale is a probing documentary on that small community’s now infamous dolphin-hunting practice and the passionate, global debate it has inspired. Directed and produced by Megumi Sasaki, it explores how Taiji became a worldwide synonym for animal abuse after Louie Psihoyos’s film The Cove won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2009.
With A Whale of a Tale set for a September 9 release at Shibuya’s Eurospace, we're putting on a special screening of the film at Ebisu's Time Out Café & Diner on September 1. Sasaki herself will give a talk after the screening, followed by an open Q&A session with former Sea Shepherd activist Scott West and ex-AP journalist Jay Alabaster, both of whom appear in the movie and will be calling in from the US (West) and Taiji (Alabaster) respectively.
With that in mind, we're now opening up the floor for you: send us any questions or comments you may have for Sasaki or the other participants by leaving a comment below, messaging us via Facebook or tweeting at us @TimeOutTokyo with the hashtag #TOTwhaleofatale. Make sure to send in your questions by August 25, and include your name, age and country of residence if possible.
We'll pick out the best of your queries and relay them to Sasaki on the day of the event, but if you want to make sure your voice is heard, sign up for the September 1 screening and talk session now via Peatix. Full details for the event are here, while our interview with Megumi Sasaki can be read here.