26° GPFF INTERNATIONAL CONTEST
LA PANTHÈRE DES NEIGES
Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier - France | 2021 | 92’
The Snow Panther is a documentary set in Tibet, on the snowy plateau: a totally wild habitat, ruled by its creatures. Two explorers set off for that mysterious place: nature photographer Vincent Munier and author Sylvain Tesson are in search of the snow panther – one of the largest and rarest felines the earth’s fauna has ever known. The panther itself becomes the symbol of a journey of self-discovery, of an uncontaminated place, far from space and time, disarming and unexplored. A journey accompanied by the music of Warren Ellis and Nick Cave: a human and mystical path composed of questions, doubts, new goals and new awareness.
GOLDEN MONKEYS: BRAVING THE IMPOSSIBLE
Manuel Catteau, Patrick Morris, Floran Sax - France, China | 2022 | 50’
In one of the largest forests in central China, in Hubei Province, it is winter. In this majestic, silent expanse, flashes of gold shimmer: the fur of the Golden-snub-nosed Monkeys shines on the white blanket. This unique and unfortunately endangered species finds refuge in the heart of the protected area. Although some scientists have managed to study these tiny primates over the past 20 years, their behaviour is little known and even more fascinating.
An essential element for the survival of rhinopithecines is solidarity, sharing. Even males excluded from the herd must forge an alliance. The species evolves by forming small groups, each in its own territory. If an alpha male wants to become dominant, it is the females who orchestrate an intricate power game.
We follow the fate of two families as they vie for power and chances of survival. State-of-the-art filming technologies provide an extraordinary immersive experience. As breathtaking images of China’s wilderness are revealed, one feels an integral part of the friendly Golden-snub-nosed Monkeys clans.
An essential element for the survival of rhinopithecines is solidarity, sharing. Even males excluded from the herd must forge an alliance. The species evolves by forming small groups, each in its own territory. If an alpha male wants to become dominant, it is the females who orchestrate an intricate power game.
We follow the fate of two families as they vie for power and chances of survival. State-of-the-art filming technologies provide an extraordinary immersive experience. As breathtaking images of China’s wilderness are revealed, one feels an integral part of the friendly Golden-snub-nosed Monkeys clans.
NAÏS AU PAYS DES LOUPS
Rémy Masséglia - France | 2021 | 53’
Ready for a unique adventure in the heart of France’s wildest national park?
Follow the memorable journey of a father and his one-year-old daughter, who spent more than twenty-four months in the wilderness.
It is an opportunity to get as close as possible to the fauna, meeting one of the most shy animals… the wolf!
The film is an urgent message: it invites us to safeguard nature and to take action to protect the biodiversity of this increasingly scorching planet, before it is too late.
Follow the memorable journey of a father and his one-year-old daughter, who spent more than twenty-four months in the wilderness.
It is an opportunity to get as close as possible to the fauna, meeting one of the most shy animals… the wolf!
The film is an urgent message: it invites us to safeguard nature and to take action to protect the biodiversity of this increasingly scorching planet, before it is too late.
THE BASTARD KING
Owen Pruemm - Austria, France, Germany | 2021 | 89’
The Bastard King recounts the life of a lion, from cub to king: an animal battling an inconceivable enemy, ravaging this world of ours where blood flows more abundantly than water. This incredible story is a daring revisitation of the storytelling tradition: an allegory of the risk of species extinction… and the fate of humanity.
The spectacular narrative revisits the documentary tradition and becomes an emphatic denunciation of the environmental devastation that is destroying the planet, causing the rapid extinction of species.
Filmed over the course of ten years in remote parts of Africa, the film accompanies the ‘Bastard King’, a lion cub who is distinguished from birth by his heterochromia (he has one amber iris and the other blue). He is the result of the forbidden union between the pack with the blue-eyed specimens and that with the amber-eyed specimens. Outcast and hunted by the ruthless Bastard King, who slaughters his siblings, the cub and his mother flee to the increasingly arid savannah and begin the adventure of a lifetime.
The Bastard King is a heartfelt plea, an allegory evoking discrimination and environmental threats beyond the control of the individual. Using a hybrid storytelling technique, the film comes to the conclusion that time for action is running out – not only for the Forest King but for all of us.
The spectacular narrative revisits the documentary tradition and becomes an emphatic denunciation of the environmental devastation that is destroying the planet, causing the rapid extinction of species.
Filmed over the course of ten years in remote parts of Africa, the film accompanies the ‘Bastard King’, a lion cub who is distinguished from birth by his heterochromia (he has one amber iris and the other blue). He is the result of the forbidden union between the pack with the blue-eyed specimens and that with the amber-eyed specimens. Outcast and hunted by the ruthless Bastard King, who slaughters his siblings, the cub and his mother flee to the increasingly arid savannah and begin the adventure of a lifetime.
The Bastard King is a heartfelt plea, an allegory evoking discrimination and environmental threats beyond the control of the individual. Using a hybrid storytelling technique, the film comes to the conclusion that time for action is running out – not only for the Forest King but for all of us.
WAVES BENEATH THE WATER. SECRETS OF FRESHWATER LIFE REVEALED
Arthur de Bruin - Netherlands | 2022 | 52’
The Netherlands and water: a country and a force of nature inextricably linked. Mills, pumps, polders and dykes are famous tourist attractions. The country is surrounded by water, a fascinating landscape of canals, ponds, lakes and rivers. 16% of the surface area is covered by fresh water, one third of the country lies below sea level. Excess water is sometimes a problem to manage, yet the world depends on this element. But what do we know, after all, about the lives of freshwater creatures?
Thirty years ago, no one would have imagined a film being shot underwater in this part of Europe. There was nothing interesting in the murky, polluted waters; there was no life in most of the waterways. The worst pollution had disappeared. Now that creatures are returning in droves to finally clean waters, this environmental success story should be celebrated.
The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of aquatic fauna are mesmerising; the diversity of species, shapes, behaviour and colours, exorbitant. The underwater world is always on the move and the ubiquitous eel is an example of this: one of the most mysterious species. Using state-of-the-art technology, we filmed the underwater creatures in amazing close-ups, as if we were just a step away from them. Welcome to the breathtaking world beneath the surface of the water, where surprising encounters are made.
Thirty years ago, no one would have imagined a film being shot underwater in this part of Europe. There was nothing interesting in the murky, polluted waters; there was no life in most of the waterways. The worst pollution had disappeared. Now that creatures are returning in droves to finally clean waters, this environmental success story should be celebrated.
The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of aquatic fauna are mesmerising; the diversity of species, shapes, behaviour and colours, exorbitant. The underwater world is always on the move and the ubiquitous eel is an example of this: one of the most mysterious species. Using state-of-the-art technology, we filmed the underwater creatures in amazing close-ups, as if we were just a step away from them. Welcome to the breathtaking world beneath the surface of the water, where surprising encounters are made.
PATH OF THE PANTHER
Eric Bendick - USA | 2022 | 89’
Attracted by the elusive spectre of the Florida panther, photographer Carlton Ward finds himself on the front line of an increasingly fierce battle between the forces of renewal and destruction, which have pushed the Erverglades to the brink of ecological collapse.
In this struggle, the habitat of the Florida panther has shrunk into an island. This virgin territory has been parcelled out. Poised on the brink of extinction, the Florida panther is an emblem of a world that was interconnected. It is a vision of what it could once again be. Or it is an ominous sign of what could happen to the planet if the ‘Panther Way’ became a dead end.
This odyssey of hope and disillusionment is the culmination of more than five years of fieldwork using high-definition photo traps. The Florida panthers were caught, as never before, in their natural ecosystem.
These large nomadic predators, one of the most shy and threatened feline species in the world, have inspired a visionary project: a wildlife corridor. It is the beginning of a ‘pathway’ that could one day extend across the whole of America.
In this struggle, the habitat of the Florida panther has shrunk into an island. This virgin territory has been parcelled out. Poised on the brink of extinction, the Florida panther is an emblem of a world that was interconnected. It is a vision of what it could once again be. Or it is an ominous sign of what could happen to the planet if the ‘Panther Way’ became a dead end.
This odyssey of hope and disillusionment is the culmination of more than five years of fieldwork using high-definition photo traps. The Florida panthers were caught, as never before, in their natural ecosystem.
These large nomadic predators, one of the most shy and threatened feline species in the world, have inspired a visionary project: a wildlife corridor. It is the beginning of a ‘pathway’ that could one day extend across the whole of America.
UNEQUAL BROTHERS - WOLVES AND LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOGS
Heribert Schöller - Italy, Germany | 2020 | 52’
The film narrates the return of wolves and livestock guarding dogs, through touching images of puppies growing close to the flocks and wolf cubs developing in the pack. Two intimately linked protagonists whose development and tasks are different: one must protect the livestock, the other protect the ecosystem. We observe the socialisation process of the species: the puppy dog sees the sheep herd as family; the wolf cub grows up thanks to the herd. In the background, a vast, unspoilt landscape is constantly expanding: the wilderness of Abruzzo, with its national parks, and Lusatia, in Germany, with its former military areas and post-mining landscapes. The return of guard dogs could be the key to the sustainable integration of wolves and other large predators in areas where they once lived. This resurgence could stimulate new thinking about nature in 21st century Europe.
THE WILD GARDENER
John Murray, Jamie Fitzpatrick - Ireland | 2021 | 59’
Documentary filmmaker Colin Stafford-Johnson returns home for an intimate project: to transform his childhood garden into a sanctuary for endemic wildlife. After thirty years spent filming the most extraordinary creatures in various parts of the world, Colin returns to Ireland, to the garden where he spent his childhood, watering and tending it to make it perfect. Today, his wish is to turn that old playground into a sanctuary for the plants and animals that struggle for survival on these islands. He hopes to convince the public to do the same.
THE SECRET LIFE OF TITS
Yann Sochaczewski, Marlen Hundertmark - Germany | 2022 | 52’
Tits are all around us but we barely notice them. If we observe them, we realise their charisma and versatility. What do we really know about this species? This film takes us into their dangerous and fascinating world to reveal their secrets.