A Taste of Whale

Vincent Kelner / France / 2022 / Czech Premiere / 85 min.

synopsis

Since ancient times, the people of the Faroe Islands have benefited tremendously from the abundance of resources that the surrounding sea offers them. Over the years, the hunting of pilot whales (a species closely related to dolphins) has become not only an important source of their livelihood, but also a national tradition. However, activists defending animal rights consider the hunts to be inhumane and needlessly cruel. They believe that the Faroe Islanders' argument for preserving traditions is unwarranted and unnatural because the Faroese now hunt marine mammals using modern technology, such as walkie-talkies and motorboats. According to them, a nation's culture mustn’t be dependent on the extermination of an endangered species. But if the Faroese way of obtaining meat is seen as barbaric from today's point of view, then why do we still have modern meat factories that slaughter millions of animals each day?

“If you aren´t able to kill the animal, you are not allowed to eat it. Quite a lot of people wouldn´t have food today.”

biography

French director and journalist Vincent Kelner (* 1978) studied at Sorbonne University in Paris. Throughout his work, he tends to focus on news reports and investigative programs, social documentaries, and travel magazines. He has also played an active role in various series for public and commercial television stations.

more about film

director:	Vincent Kelner
producer:	Rémi Grellety
photography:	Vincent Kelner
editing:	Olivier Marzin
music:	Merryn Jeann
sound:	Vincent Kelner
sound design:	Thomas Desjonquères, Guillaume D'ham, Simon Poupard, Pierre-Jean Labrusse