tibet

“Nature documentary” is a genre unto itself and at first glance, The Velvet Queen might appear to be just that as photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson hike through Tibet in search of the rare and elusive snow leopard. But this film by Munier and co-director Marie Amiguet is so much more than a mere record of an expedition and the fauna that the travelers encounter on their quest. It is a poem, an ode to nature at its most elemental.

There is plenty of beauty as well as a procession of enchanting wild beasts in Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier’s nature doc The Velvet Queen, whose majestic title refers to the elusive predatory creature known as a snow leopard. Those in pursuit of this regal cat includes photographer and co-director Munier along with his writer buddy Sylvain Tesson, who published a book about their journey over 5,000 meters up in the air among the chilly terrain of Tibet’s soaring peaks, The Art of Patience – Seeking the Snow Leopard. Sadly, this glorious Asian diva, whose long spotted tail acts like a furry train behind her, has become endangered due to poaching and environmental issues.