International competition 24° GPFF

Okavango

Dereck e Beverly Joubert - Austria | 2019 | 92’

Drawing on Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, the story is told as a journey from Purgatory into Paradise, a quest for truth, for the soul of this river, the Okavango in Botswana, seeing those who use her, as well as those who are victim to the changes she brings, used by her. Floods rise up and transport trillions of liters of water, and yet, each droplet makes a difference. There are characters like Feeketsa, a wounded lioness that makes it against all odds and becomes a kind of talisman for the tale, a symbol of hope through hardship. The film is like looking through windows into stories and then moving on, until we reveal that each story binds us to the next, and to the river herself. It is also a symbol of hope against a backdrop of climate change that threatens every pristine landscape in the world.

Planète Méditerranée

Gil Kébaïli - France | 2020 | 96’

The Mediterranean Sea. Because people have been travelling there for thousands of years, it is believed to be without secrets. And yet, far below its surface, lays vast and unexplored territories, luxurious gardens worthy of the finest tropical coral reefs. These natural wonders are inaccessible to a traditional diver, in a twilight zone, between 60 and 120 m, where there is less than 1% of sunlight. Imagine diving at such depths being a challenge, staying there is a fantasy, a utopia that becomes reality in the deep Med. Following the foot steps of Commander Cousteau and his «houses under the sea», the team of diver-photographer Laurent Ballesta has undertaken a new world-record mission in July 2019: spending 28 days in a pressurized 55-sq-ft chamber allowing them to dive into the 100m zone as they wish, in complete freedom and without any time limit. From Marseille to Nice, the 4 adventurers reveal the treasures of biodiversity hidden in the Mediterranean and study the unknown ecosystems of its depths. A human, technical and scientific challenge to discover the mysterious ecosystems of the Mediterranean’s depths.

The Frozen Kingdom of the Snow Leopard

Frédéric Larrey - France | 2020 | 50’

Set in the remote mountains of China and Tibet, this film follows the perilous existence of a female snow leopard and her two young, who are less than a year old, in a valley of stunning beauty with a dazzling diversity of wildlife. Two photographer brothers came upon this lost valley in 2016 and were amazed to find it home to a dense population of snow leopards in a relatively small territory. Their discovery led to this exceptional film about an elusive big cat that is rarely caught on camera.

My Octopus Teacher

Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed - South Africa | 2020 | 85’

Craig Foster, suffering from a loss of purpose, begins a daily diving regimen in the freezing kelp forests at the tip of Africa in order to re-energize himself. What he discovers below the water’s surface is a totally alien motivation in the form of an unusually curious octopus. This beautiful record of an animal’s entire life—something seldom achieved in the wild, let alone underwater—was shot over a full year and explores the habits and personality of a strange, undulating creature that most of us have only ever eaten. Beyond intelligent, dextrous and resilient, the cephalopod shares her secret world with Foster as they develop a touching bond. The underwater encounters are literally breathtaking as Foster holds his breath while interacting with the octopus. An immersive portrait of human–animal understanding, brimming with danger, drama and devastating emotion, My Octopus Teacher grabs you with all eight arms and changes its camouflage—showing you colours and textures you’ve never seen before.

QUAND BALEINES ET TORTUES NOUS MONTRENT LE CHEMIN

Rémy Tézier - France | 2019 | 54’

For years now, humpback whales and sea turtles have made a comback to Reunion Island. A ray of hope for biodiversity and a promising sign for the planet.

Why are humpback whales and sea turtles once again roaming around the coast of Reunion Island, after years of avoiding the area? To shed light on this, this documentary follows the daily life of a young calf, from its birth in the waters of Reunion Island to its heading out to Antarctica, and that of a green turtle, which grew up on the coral reef and is about to head back to its native island to breed. Following them are photographers, naturalists and scientists who are working to protect them.

WILD HORSES - A Tale From The Puszta

Zoltán Török - Hungary, Germany, Sweden | 2021 | 53’

Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal! She is a Przewalski’s horse, they are only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the “Puszta”. 25 years ago some were introduced here and the wild horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land: today this is one of the world’s largest wild horse herd consisting of 300 animals! This is their story, told through the growing up of Dot. She has to learn the complicated relations within the wild horse society, sometimes through dramatic other times joyful events. For three years, the filmmakers literally followed the footsteps of the ever-wandering herd focusing on one single wild horse foal and her family. They captured incredible and never-before-seen intimate moments from the secret life of these unique animals and the rich wildlife that surrounds them.

On thin ice

Henry M. Mix e Boas Schwarz - Russia, Germany | 2019 | 51’

Russia. Roughly two thirds of the Arctic belongs to the world’s largest country. Here, Siberia alone has the size of Australia. Large areas of Northern Russia used to be no-go zones for decades. For the first time, scientists from all over the world are beginning to explore this huge area and what they find is alarming. Enormous layers of permafrost are thawing out and revealing remains of the ancient Siberian megafauna. Hundreds of scary looking holes are blasting-off from the deep to exhale Methane, which has 35 times stronger greenhouse effects than carbon dioxide. Forest fires are rushing over the taiga every year and the once ice-locked Northeast Passage becomes navigable. In the Russian Arctic, climate change is not a question anymore. It is happening, now and at a worrying pace. Scientists say that the tipping point was already reached years ago. Now, Pandora’s box has been opened. The fate of people and wildlife is at stake as is the entire Arctic.

The Alps - Episode1: The High Life

Otmar Penker - Austria | 2020 | 51’

The Alps – wild mountains, extreme lives, but also a magical world. This majestic mountain range connects eight countries and reaches heights of up to 4 000 metres above sea level. At a length of 1 200 kilometres, the Alps form both a connecting bridge between western and eastern Europe and a high barrier between southern and central Europe. The mountains act as a mighty water reservoir and continental watershed, feeding innumerable rivers that flow into three different oceans. Their highest peak, Mont Blanc, is surrounded by long, soaring mountains with ice-covered slopes. These great summits are just one reason the so-called “Roof of Europe” continues to fascinate – across the continent and around the world. The incredible diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna makes the Alps a unique natural treasure at the heart of Europe.

Félins, noir sur blanc

Mathieu Le Lay - France | 2021 | 53’

“For Laurent Baheux: Black and White is a game between shadow and light, that’s what fascinates me”. His award at the International Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest in the category Creative Vision of Nature was the launching point of his artistic career around animals and wildlife. His B/W photographs have been exhibited all over the world in galleries and in numerous festivals. This film allows us to plunge into the heart of the African bush with him, on the trail of three fascinating big cats. A photographic quest, a grail, his very own grail. The lion, king of the savanna, powerful, majestic and vulnerable at the same time. The graceful cheetah, so fast but so fragile. The leopard, silent and ghostly predator. An intimate journey with him to understand his artistic approach and sensitivity. Surrounding, a delicate and threatened nature. Laurent is willing to catch what nature has to tell him, expecting nothing in particular, always humble in his approach to wildlife. He catches the beauty of the moment, the play of lights, the harmony of the scenes… Laurent shares his vision, respectful and poetic approach of this savannah and its fauna, which according to him are capable of feeling. Looking for the emotion and transmitting it to us through his pictures. All of them reveal a simple and intense beauty. He came to Africa to find a certain peacefulness. At his side, through his words, his look and his pictures, we also found it.!

Wild Cuba: A Caribbean Journey

John Murray - Ireland | 2019 | 59’

An authored personal journey into the remotest corners of Cuba, as wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson explores one of the most bewitching islands in the world featuring the wildlife and wild places that make it so special. Filmed over two years, this two hour special reveals enchanting animal behaviour set in stunning landscapes under the bluest skies in the Caribbean and all captured in 4K with the very latest camera technologies. Showcasing the natural magic of one of the Earth’s most intriguing countries, Colin reveals how sympathetic government polices allied to 60 years of blockades and isolation have preserved a time capsule of unspoiled landscapes and spectacular wildlife. Colin’s life-long fascination with the island was sparked by a Cuban stamp collection he found in his Grandfather’s study featuring bizarre exotic creatures that to a 10 year old boy seemed straight out of a fairytale. Colin could never shake off those striking images, completing his college thesis on Caribbean wildlife and spending many months travelling throughout the region. Exploring outposts of this mysterious island that few outsiders have seen, Wild Cuba blends Cuba’s unique atmosphere and personality with the stories of wild animals found nowhere else on the planet — from the jumping Cuban Crocodiles of the Zapata swamp to the Bee Hummingbird, the world’s tiniest bird, from millions of Red Land Crabs migrating en masse, to giant bat-eating Cuban Boa snakes that lie in caves waiting for their airborne prey. Wild Cuba reveals a tropical paradise in many places as unspoiled as when Columbus first set foot on its glistening beaches over 500 years ago.