The Velvet Queen (2021)
High up on the Tibetan plateau. Amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys lies one of the last sanctuaries of the wild world, where rare and undiscovered fauna lives. Vincent Munier, one of the world’s most renowned wildlife photographers takes the adventurer and novelist Sylvain Tesson (In the Forest of Siberia) with him on his latest mission. For several weeks, they’ll explore these valleys searching for unique animals and try to spot the snow leopard, one of the rarest and most difficult big cats to approach.
- Marie Amiguet
- Vincent Munier
- Marie Amiguet
- Vincent Munier
Rating: 7.9/10 by 121 users
Alternative Title:
Sneleoparden - DK
Der Schneeleopard - DE
The Velvet Queen - US
La Panthere des Neiges - FR
Country:
France
Language:
Français
Español
Runtime: 01 hour 32 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: nepal, himalaya mountain range, nature, wildlife photographer, wildcat, animal documentary, snow fox, mountain expedition, snow leopard, wildlife documentary
I was actually quite disappointed with this. Sylvain Tesson and Vincent Munier spent a great deal of time on the Tibetan plateau and what they have filmed is pretty spectacular, but what they have presented us with here is really nothing at all special. The chronology is all over the shop; we jump from season to season with a rather light narrative that doesn't flow particularly well. The photography is something we have seen quite often before, and though there is a touch of excitement as we try to track down the star of the show, the film has an inevitability to it that I found quite underwhelming - coupled with a dialogue that was equally rambling and though naturally conversational, pretty uninformative. I also felt that the way they were photographed by an unseen crew, offering us pristine images as they snuggled down using the rock face for camouflage offered something quite sterile too. It's a must for wildlife fans who appreciate these wonderful creatures in their remote and frequently hostile natural habitats, but as a cinema feature I think it is just about ok.
