INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 27th GPFF
VIVRE AVEC LES LOUPS
Jean-Michel Bertrand | France | 2023 | 89’
The director tells us about the wolf in a new and unexpected way. Soon the species will be found everywhere in France. We should therefore learn to ‘live with wolves’. Beyond the controversy, the author takes us on a gentle cinematographic journey through the natural world around us and the animals that inhabit it. Jean-Michel Bertrand guides us to discover unexpected encounters with humans and animals. Thanks to his inimitable style, he drives us towards naturalistic and philosophical reflections on nature.
THE BATTLE FOR THE BIRDS, IN THE SKIES OF ISRAEL
Cédric Chambin - France | 2022 | 52’
In the Jordan Rift Valley, humans have been at war for more than half a century. This human tragedy has unleashed an unprecedented ecological drama, causing the death of almost all migratory birds using that passage between Europe and Africa. Against all odds, and despite the ongoing crises in the region, the Israelis decided to act to save biodiversity. Today, women and men are fighting to protect the birds, successfully restoring the great migratory routes in the valley: one of the most spectacular natural events in the world.
IRELAND’S WILD ISLANDS: EDGE OF THE ABYSS
John Murray and Jamie Fitzpatrick - Ireland | 2023 | 53’
This spectacular new film, which took three years to make, features the natural wonders of Ireland’s Atlantic islands. It captures an extraordinary gathering of basking sharks off the Aran Islands; humpback whales waking up to fish and play off the Blasket Islands, County Kerry; breeding gurnard and male grey seals fighting for supremacy in the remote Inishkea Islands, County Mayo. The documentary is presented by Irish wildlife expert Eoin Warner. A beautiful 140-year-old traditional vessel is Eoin’s base as he ventures out into the Atlantic to discover Ireland’s most fascinating islands and their wild inhabitants.
SILVERBACK
Miles Blayden-Ryall - United Kingdom | 2023 | 90’
The feature follows award-winning cameraman Vianet Djenguet (‘Life in Colour’ by Attenborough) as he documents a mission to ‘habituate’ a 200 kg silverback, a notoriously defensive specimen, in an extreme attempt to save the eastern lowland gorillas from extinction. A native of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo with a special interest in the species, Vianet is the ideal man to be called to Kahuzi-Biega National Park to document this crucial conservation effort. As the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to feel the impact of war, will this intimate journey help save the planet’s largest primate from extinction?
AMERICAN HORSES
Eric Bendick - USA | 2022 | 53’
Born from a mixture of legendary historical events, charismatic figures and unusual places, ‘American Horses’ is a journey that traces the origin of these breeds. Today’s trainers are as diverse as the horses they work with. Theirs is an unbridled passion, in keeping with the long tradition of innovation and breeding that is an integral part of America.
CACTUS HOTEL
Yann Sochaczewski - Germany | 2023 | 50’
In the American Southwest, there is a giant tower silhouetted against the blue sky, impossible to ignore. At first glance, it appears lifeless. Looking at it closely, however, the Sonora Desert icon is akin to a luxury hotel for many desert dwellers. With several daily ‘check-ins’ and ‘check-outs’, the wild tourists display incredible survival skills, intriguing hunting moves and a living genius. It is an unusual neighbourhood with a common denominator: fates cross at the fabulous Cactus Hotel. This 50-minute film tells the story of an old cactus Saguaro and his daily guests, the eccentric residential communities, the long-time tenants: creatures who manage to turn this thorny fortress into a home.
L’AFFÛT AUX LOUPS
Olivier Larrey and Tanguy Dumortier - France and Belgium | 2023 | 91’
A vast snowy forest, untouched by human presence. Two men cross it, backpacking, over a frozen river, arriving at the peat bog, a vast white expanse. For years, the painter Yves and the photographer Olivier have travelled the world, from one pole to the other, encountering the fauna, privileged witnesses and aware of the fragile beauty of the planet. The two share a dream: to see a pack of wolves grow and spread. One day, their search leads them to a hut, in the no-man’s-land between Finland and Russia: a place where time takes on a different dimension. ‘It is not a hut, it is a hiding place… A place where we will stay for days and days, nights and nights, in all weathers. It is as if we want to enclose ourselves in a kind of cage or prison. They will be the ones to look for us, if and when they want to… or not’. The waiting begins. Over the course of the seasons, the two will remain enclosed in that 8sqm wooden space, in the silence of an unchanging landscape, until they become part of their surroundings, immersing themselves in the life of the herd. A static adventure…
SAUVAGE - LE CHAMOIS, L’AIGLE ET LE LOUP
Véronique, Anne and Erik Lapied - France | 2023 | 62’
In the beautiful and rugged setting of the last natural sanctuaries at high altitude in the Alps, this film gives us a privileged and close-up of the chamois, eagles, wolves and other creatures that share the territory. From one autumn to the next, accompanied by a minimalist commentary, which facilitates the immersion into the images, we will come into contact with the wild fauna of these mountains, where snow and ice reign for several months of the year. In balance on the edge of existence, the animals meet, hunt each other, sharpen their wits, and follow their instincts to face the most arduous challenge: living.
ANTARCTIC KILLER WAVES
Will West - United Kingdom | 2023 | 41’
Bertie Gregory is on a memorable adventure in a spectacular corner of the planet: the Antarctic continent. He chases orcas to capture their everyday life. Armed with drones, state-of-the-art cameras and underwater technology, Bertie and his team brave sub-zero waters to reveal the challenges these animals face, the fierce rivalries and threats of a rapidly changing world. ‘Antarctic Killer Waves’ shows everything that goes on behind the scenes as Bertie and his team must adapt to the unpredictable nature of these remote environments, where filming rarely goes as planned. There is no script for this documentary, but Bertie takes the audience along, step by step with constant surprises.