The Velvet Queen (2022)
Director: Marie Amiguet Run Time: 92 min. Release Year: 2021
Starring: Sylvain Tesson, Vincent Munier
Country: France
Language: French
About the film:
World Premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. In the heart of the Tibetan highlands, multi-award-winning nature photographer Vincent Munier guides writer Sylvain Tesson on his quest to document the infamously elusive snow leopard. Munier introduces Tesson to the subtle art of waiting from a blind spot, tracking animals, and finding the patience to catch sight of the beasts. Through their journey in the Tibetan peaks, inhabited by invisible presences, the two men ponder humankind’s place amongst the magnificent creatures and glorious landscapes they encounter along the way.
About the filmmakers:
Franco-Swiss director and cinematographer Marie Amiguet joined forces with celebrated nature photographer Vincent Munier to craft The Velvet Queen. Initially trained as a biologist, Amiguet earned a Master’s in Wildlife Cinema at IFFCAM and worked with Jean-Michel Bertrand on La Vallée des Loups before directing Avec les Loups, a portrait of the filmmaker. In 2017, she worked with Munier on one of his short documentaries, Silence des Bêtes, a protest against lynx poaching. A lifelong champion for nature and endangered species, Munier received the prestigious Eric Hosking Award three times from the BBC Wildlife Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He also founded Kobalann publishing company and has authored a dozen books.
The feature directorial debut for both filmmakers, The Velvet Queen features non-traditional storytelling and a score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
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