The Islands and the Whales (2016)

Directed by: Mike Day | 82 minutes | documentary

The Faroe Islands: inhospitable tracts of land in the far north that on the one hand have a desolate appearance, but at the same time exude a certain beauty due to their ruggedness and unspoilt nature. Because hardly anything grows on these barren pieces of earth, most of the food here has to be obtained from the surrounding sea. Locally nesting seabirds such as puffins and gannets, fish and whales (especially pilot whales) were a staple in the Viking Age as well. The traditional hunting of pilot whales and seabirds has been preserved over the centuries, even after modern means of transport and globalization made their appearance on the islands. Today, that archaic hunting tradition is under pressure; Much of the international community is disgusted at the sight of blood-red waters in which pilot whales are stabbed to death with primitive-looking harpoons, knives and spears, while science is also increasingly finding evidence of the harmfulness of eating whale meat. Because the pilot whales are at the top of the marine food chain, their bodies contain a lot of heavy metals such as mercury. A sad consequence of the pollution of the world’s seas, which has taken place at a rapid pace since the second half of the twentieth century.

In ‘The Islands and the Whales’, filmmaker Mike Day immerses himself in the world of the Faroe Islands and tries to understand the role traditional pilot whale hunting plays in the psyche of the local population. It’s clever and commendable that the Briton is not taking sides in the lingering conflict between hunters and environmentalists, though the images and cries of the cornered pilot whale will be hard to digest for the modern Westerner with a little empathy for species other than humans. . Day’s approach ultimately paints a fairly nuanced picture of the islanders who hunt whales and nesting seabirds (including chicks): they are not all hard-hearted barbarians, but above all islanders and family people who have a deep-rooted relationship with the sea and are proud of their ancient, largely self-sufficient way of life in a land of barren hills and rocky plateaus largely unsuitable for agriculture.

Yet that image of the islanders who live in complete harmony with nature is also a bit flawed. Indeed, the Faroes have embraced many of the blessings of technological progress. There are just cars driving around the island, while the supermarket shelves and plates on the dining tables are also filled with delicacies from outside. Day sometimes pays too little attention to this contradiction, a fact that sometimes gets in the way of his critical view and encourages romanticization of the autarkic island community.

The second theme that runs like a thread through ‘The Islands and the Whales’ is of a medical nature. There are quite a few snags to the consumption of pilot whale meat these days. We follow a local professor who studies the mercury levels in islanders who regularly eat a portion of whale meat. His conclusion is clear: eating pilot whales is life-threatening in the long term and can lead to brain ailments and damage due to the high concentration of toxins in the meat. Children who frequently eat the substance often suffer from cognitive growth retardation and also develop other health problems. He therefore advocates, albeit for a very different reason than Sea Shepherd activists, for an end to the long-standing pilot whale hunt. The response of patients to the finding that the levels of mercury in their bodies really are dangerously high is testament to the short-sighted thinking that is so typical of much of humanity. A few start to think seriously about their eating habits, but several people have no intention of changing their lifestyle and sometimes even speak contemptuously about scientific ‘nonsense’.

Aesthetically there is little wrong with ‘The Islands and the Whales’. Stories about the Huldufólk (a mythological people that would hide in the mountains) run like a thread through the documentary and provide the viewer with the necessary philosophical reflections between the lines. In combination with the beautiful pictures of the natural beauty, it is not difficult to be impressed by this ancient world, in which survival has been central for centuries. In terms of information, however, it is all a bit meager. Because Day mainly lets ordinary citizens, who stubbornly and a bit desperately cling to their old traditions, have their say, the film is often repeated. The attempt to tackle an urgent global problem – namely the pollution of the world’s seas – is also not evident due to the narrow-mindedness of the small community in which the documentary is set. The Faroese are without a doubt more victims than contributors to this environmental problem, but their traditionalist mindset and inability to embrace change are unlikely to come up with solutions.

‘The Islands and the Whales’ is a nuanced, beautifully filmed and often slow-moving documentary. Certainly not uninteresting, but also not in-depth, versatile or original enough to keep you interested for the full eighty minutes. Sensitive animal lovers should skip the print anyway, because quite a few pilot whales and seabirds are hunted in this film.