Japanese theater pulls 'Cove' documentary

TOKYO — A movie theater in Tokyo decided against showing the dolphin-hunt documentary "The Cove" after nationalist pressure and warnings of protests, the distributor said Thursday.

In recent months, activists have protested and screamed slogans outside the Tokyo office of the Japanese distributor, Unplugged, alleging that support for the film signals betrayal of Japanese pride.

Theater N Shibuya was scheduled to start showing the film June 26. Unplugged said the theater changed its mind after getting deluged with angry telephone calls and being warned that screenings would be met with protests. The American movie that won the Academy Award for documentary this year shows undercover footage of the dolphin hunt in a Japanese village and documents efforts by Ric O'Barry, a former trainer for the "Flipper" TV series, to stop the killing of dolphins for food.