1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 5 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Velvet Queen
2021 1h 32m FR
🙌
7.9
BANGER
★7.9TMDB · 139
Documentary
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
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.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Vincent Munier
Self
Sylvain Tesson
Self
Marie Amiguet
Self
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Marie Amiguet
- Writers
- Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier
- Languages
- Spanish, French, Tibetan
- Countries
- France
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Spanish, French, Tibetan.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Marie Amiguet, shot by Marie Amiguet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Warren Ellis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Vincent Schmitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Vincent Munier and Sylvain Tesson and Marie Amiguet carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt11937680 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Marie Amiguet directs. Marie Amiguet behind the camera. Warren Ellis scores. Vincent Schmitt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in Spanish, French, Tibetan.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Released 5 years ago.
- 2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Spanish, French, Tibetan.
- 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 4Directed by Marie Amiguet, shot by Marie Amiguet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Original score by Warren Ellis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 6Editor Vincent Schmitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Vincent Munier and Sylvain Tesson and Marie Amiguet carry the top of the cast.
- 8IMDB entry: tt11937680 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 9Classified under 11 themes, including "nepal", "himalaya mountain range", "nature", "nature documentary".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Marie Amiguet
- Original score
- Warren Ellis
- Editing
- Vincent Schmitt
- Runtime
- 92 min · 1h 32m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- FR
Awards
- Lumière Award for Best Documentary
- César Award for Best Documentary Film
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Marie Amiguet
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- CinemaSerf★ 6/10
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.
Production companies
Who made it
Paprika Films
FR
Oscilloscope
US
Key crew
- EditorVincent Schmitt
- Co-ProducerBertrand Faivre
- Co-ProducerVincent Gadelle
- Co-ProducerOlivier Père
- ProducerLaurent Baujard
- ProducerPierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin
- ProducerVincent Munier
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- nepal
- himalaya mountain range
- nature
- nature documentary
- wildlife photographer
- wildcat
- animal documentary
- snow fox
- mountain expedition
- snow leopard
- wildlife documentary
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2021-09-18· Camden International Film Festival
Also known as
International titles
- SneleopardenDK
- Der SchneeleopardDE
- The Velvet QueenUS
- La Panthere des NeigesFR
