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I was 7 when Tarka the Otter came out and it brings out a strong emotional reaction even though I don’t actually remember the story.  I saw a clip of the original trailer and the narration by Peter Ustinov seemed so familiar.

For those of you who are too young to have seen it the first time, Tarka the Otter is a family film which follows the life of a real otter and its adventures in the wild. The plot begins with Tarka as a cub growing up in a den with his mother and siblings. As a cub, he learns how to clean himself, swim, and catch fish. When his home is attacked by hunters, he and his family must abandon it to flee from danger.

Joining up with another group of otters, the family continue to travel. At some point he loses his family and his mother forgets she even had a cub named Tarka. From now on he must fend for himself. He continues to be persecuted and is constantly on the run from the hunters. In the end, as he is once again being chased by the pack of hounds, his life ends in a heroic death match with the fearsome dog Deadlock, who dies with him.

That does sound a little tramatic but I can’t wait to have the excuse of taking my children to see it when it is screened at the Michael Croft Theatre in few weeks.  I think I’ll just make sure that they all bring something to cuddle and I’ll bring the tissues!

The film is being screened at 4.30pm on 15th July.  Tickets are £5 for adults and £4 for children but if you take two or more children then the adult ticket is free.   There is also a party deal with Rocca in Dulwich Village.

You can book tickets at www.michaelcrofttheatre.org.uk