Viewers can’t help but give high praise to this unique documentary film for its strong messaging about climate change and the beauty of the natural world.
The Velvet Queen is a French-language documentary film following two debut filmmakers, Sylvain Tesson and Vincent Munier, as they begin a quest to find an infamous snow leopard in Tibet. As they set out to uncover more about the elusive animal, they are faced with tracking animals, plenty of patience to catch a sighting, and the subtle art of finding the perfect blind spot.
Released in 2021, their journey on screen takes viewers through the breathtaking Tibetan peaks, inhabited by the unknown. The two make great observations as they begin to question humans’s place amongst the magnificent creatures and the magnificent landscapes they find themselves in along the way.
Soundtracking the beautiful film is a series of songs crafted by none other than Nick Cave alongside Warren Ellis, which was released afterwards by Lakeshore Records. Its moving music throughout has been described as “naturally wonderful” and struck a chord with many viewers.
An impressed Rotten Tomatoes review claimed: “A magnificent documentary that follows an improbable duo in search of wonder in a nature so beautiful when it is preserved. The editing and production provide real suspense to this quest for the snow leopard.”
Another viewer wrote: “A breath of fresh air. Inspiring. I love how they use the shots sparingly. Every single shot felt extremely detailed, and I cannot fit the entirety of what I have to say about this movie in a single review.”
While many nature fans were captivated by the outstanding beauty of the creatures. “The work of these geniuses, impossibly, is concomitant to the subjects themselves,” a fan wrote, adding, “The animals are astonishing.
“When La Panthère makes its appearance, given the context of patience and the backdrop of wonder, an image of raw and honest beauty is seared into your being. You see in those eyes the apotheosis of nature. There’s your prophet. If you’re unmoved by this, you’re immovable.”
For those who aren’t aware, the snow leopard is notoriously one of the rarest and most difficult of the big cats to approach and capture on film. This meant that The Velvet Queen was filmed over the course of several weeks, and the team’s dedication to documenting the animal is widely recognised to be impressive.
One other five-star review claims: “This movie spoke to me on so many levels. Perfect, astonishing, and philosophical. Nothing I say here can quite cover it.” While somebody else referred to the film as both “essential” and “intense.”
With the aim of bringing attention to the natural beauty of the world, the documentary did just that and went on to be awarded Best Documentary Film at the 47th César Awards as well as Best Documentary at the 27th Lumière Awards.
Someone described their viewing experience to be a “much-needed mini vacation from our current world condition,” and for many, it provides just that.