Des films à quatre pattes

At the far end of Alaska, filmmaker Roman Droux fulfils a dream and travels to the land of grizzly bears together with bear researcher David Bittner. The two adventurers set off for the realm of the bears to a place where there is no trace of human civilization. Surrounded by crystal-clear torrents, they experience the care of a mother bear and impressive battles of giant male bears. Roman Droux brings pictures of breathtaking beauty to the big screen. A lively nature film for the whole family.

The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.

Life is no bed of roses for 52-year-old Juan "Coco" Villegas. He, who has been a gas station attendant for twenty years in Patagonia, finds himself jobless overnight. He first tries to survive by selling knives of his own making. But business is bad and he can't find real work. One day though, after fixing a vehicle on a farm, he acquires a beautiful Argentinian watch dog. From this blessed day on, things start shaping well at last...

«Ailo's Journey» tells the fight for the survival of a small wild reindeer, frail and vulnerable to the challenges that punctuate his first year. Its awakening to the wild world is a real tale in the heart of the grandiose landscapes of Lapland.

Untouched natural landscapes of unique beauty can be found in the remote valleys of the Tibetan highlands. Filmmaker Marie Amiguet accompanies renowned nature photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson on an adventurous journey in search of the snow leopard, a wild animal that very rarely reveals itself to mankind. The unusual journey of these two sympathetic oddballs becomes a contemplative ode to that sublime wilderness which, like the majestic snow cat, is in danger of disappearing. The score by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave compliments Amiguet's documentary, making it a sensory and decelerating experience.

«Ailo's Journey» tells the fight for the survival of a small wild reindeer, frail and vulnerable to the challenges that punctuate his first year. Its awakening to the wild world is a real tale in the heart of the grandiose landscapes of Lapland.

The story of a donkey Balthazar as he is passed from owner to owner, some kind and some cruel but all with motivations beyond his understanding. Balthazar, whose life parallels that of his first keeper, Marie, is truly a beast of burden, suffering the sins of humankind. But despite his powerlessness, he accepts his fate nobly.

In the middle of the imposing Icelandic mountain landscape, Maria and Ingvar lead a secluded life on their farm. Their wish to have children has not yet been fulfilled, but they lovingly take care of their sheep flock. One day during lambing season, Maria and Ingvar discover a curious specimen that needs their special attention. Despite all warning signs, they take the strange new-born in. Far from civilization, the new addition to their family makes life complete - but the idyll soon proves deceptive. In his feature film debut, which is fantastic in every way, director Valdimar Jóhannsson skilfully uses dialogue only sparingly, and creates a fairy-tale atmosphere with original imagery. Bittersweet, but not without humour.

The extraordinary adventure of the young members of the Piedmont Speleological Group who, having already explored all the caves of Northern Italy, changed course in August 1961 and went South to explore other caves unknown to man.

Algiers, Bab el Oued, 2016. 16-year-old Habib dreams of becoming a veterinarian. But because he has no formal education, he decides to train a ram named 'El Bouq' to become a sheep fight champion. Samir, 42, doesn't have dreams anymore, other than surviving the hardships of daily life by selling sheep. As the Eid celebration approaches, Samir has a unique opportunity to maximize his profits, since everyone in the country will buy a sheep to be slaughtered. But for Habib, it's another story: Will 'El Bouq' become a champion? Or will he face a more tragic destiny?

Lamb is a drama about 9 year-old Ephraim and his constant companion sheep, Chuni, in the vast volcanic canyon land of Ethiopia. Ephraim’s affection for Chuni deepened after he lost his mother to famine the year before. Consequently, his beloved father sends him and Chuni faraway from their drought-stricken homeland to live with his distant relatives in a greener part of the country. Ephraim soon finds himself to be a homesick outcast who is always getting into trouble. When his uncle orders him to slaughter the sheep for the upcoming holiday feast, Ephraim devises a devious scheme to save Chuni and return to his homeland.

There’s a horse thief at large on the outskirts of Bishkek high up in the mountainous region of Kyrgyzstan’s capital. Otherwise not a lot happens in this small community that does at least boast a cinema. This is where stories of the war in Afghanistan, Bollywood fairy-tales from India or films by ex-Soviet director Tolomush Okeyev open up a window on the world. This is also where projectionist and horse thief Centaur lives with his deaf wife and young son. Theirs is a simple life and yet one that increasingly seems to fall foul of the jealously and intrigues of others. Centaur believes that the people of Kyrgyzstan themselves descend from centaurs, mythological half-human half-horse creatures, and that horses are, as he says, the wings of humankind’. Unfolding in contemplative images, Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat’s film is an allegorical tale of humans, animals and nature trying to live together whilst caught between faith and superstition, modernity and tradition. As in his award-winning film The Light Thief Aktan Arym Kubat himself once again plays the leading role.

The young, upbeat teacher Antoinette is looking forward to her summer vacation with her secret lover Vladimir, the attractive father of one of her students. But nothing comes of it: Vladimir spontaneously books a donkey trekking in the Cevennes with his family. Antoinette decides to follow him on the Stevenson Trail, taking her straw hat, a pink rolling suitcase and Patrick, the donkey who accompanies her. The stubborn animal demands all her patience, yet turns out to be a good listener and leads her to completely new, refreshing insights about life and love.