The images to a film are words to a book, lyrics to a song, color to a painting, and notes to a symphony, it is a glistening or terrified moment captured by the camera. As the numerous frames made film a moving image document, it also provokes the film text to be alive again on the screen. Moreover, most people learn the new knowledge better through vivid motion images, because human are capable of interpreting the images to medulla and memorize it by the frontal lobe of the brain. And when people see those images and recall them, they make a judgment and selection, despite whether this action is right or wrong, or they need to do this or not. Some documentary films are mirrors to human, people can only know how they are doing things by looking themselves in the mirror, by recording down our behaviors and watching ourselves in the video later. And when people see the consequence and conclusion in the documentary films, they can choose to either continue to do it or stop it right now to make a change.

There are many film makers now are trying to make films that can effect people’s lives. Directors like Lucy Walker, Michael Moore, and Louie Psihoyos are the pioneers of cultural Documentary films that dedicates to change the world with sets of images. Since the screening of The Cove, there are more and more people begin to aware of the Japanese dolphins slaughter activities. Furthermore, more and more people has already began to act to save the dolphin in Japan and all over the world. The scene of the cove water turning deep red by dolphins’ blood was imprinted on many audiences’ mind. This is one of the most powerful impacts of the images in documentary films that people’s emotion will get so easily touched by one single scene. And those documented images are the crucial element to the whole film; they highlight the purpose of a documentary film by providing the visual evidence to audiences. And because of those visual evidences, a film becomes more persuasive and effective on the purpose of illuminating and education

And when The Cove won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary, the former dolphin trainer and dolphin activist Richard O’Barry raised a banner stating “Text Dolphin to 44144” for asking the public to act now to stop the dolphin slaughter in Japan. And, the filmmakers of The Cove have been open about their goal earlier this year in New York Time’s interview that their ultimate goal is “not win an Oscar – though they wouldn’t mind – but to stop the dolphin slaughter that the documentary depicts” (Ryzik). So far, there are already many different numbers of NGOS, petition websites, and individuals have acted to support the film and dolphin protection around the world. This is the impact of the documentary film, it shows the reality to people and gets into people’s mind, and eventually inspire more people to make a change, save our world.