Snow Leopard

2023 [TIBETAN]

Drama

2
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 70% · 10 reviews
IMDb Rating 6.5/10 10 351 351

Plot summary

This is a story about how people and animals finally get along. A snow leopard breaks into the sheep pen of a nomad and kills nine rams. Father and son then argue: the son insists on killing the snow leopard, but the father insists on releasing it.

Director

Pema Tseden Photo
Pema Tseden

Top cast

Zhaxi Gadou Photo
Zhaxi Gadou as Head
Gengdan Photo
Gengdan as Dorje
Juk Pa Photo
Juk Pa as Dyuba
Genden Phuntsok Photo
Genden Phuntsok as Zaden
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1005.84 MB
1280*690
Chinese 2.0
NR
cn  us  
24 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 1
2.02 GB
1920*1036
Chinese 5.1
NR
cn  us  
24 fps
1 hr 49 min
Seeds 4

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by olon-55702 8 / 10

Empathy with animals

There can be no religious experience without a deep empathy with creation. That's what one thinks of upon leaving this extraordinary film directed by Pema Tseden, a Tibetan filmmaker and writer who died of heart problems in May 2023. This is his penultimate film, and it tells the story of a shepherd who has locked a snow leopard in his sheep pen and, overnight, slashed the throat of nine of them. Now the shepherd threatens to kill the leopard if he is not compensated. Opposed to his decision, however, are the old father (representative of the traditional values of Tibetan culture) and his younger brother, a young monk, who offer what they hold most dear (the father all the money set aside for a pilgrimage to Lhasa with his monk son, the latter his precious camera, with which he loves to photograph animals, and in a dream scene his own life) for the animal's safety. Finally, even the authorities arrive to reiterate that the animal must be freed because it is protected by law. The film, for its emotional intensity and deep spirituality, stands out as the best feature film seen at this 80th Venice Film Festival. Also beautiful are the two dream scenes of the young monk, shot in splendid black and white, where the relationship between man and animal becomes so profound that we can glimpse the Creator behind his creatures, when (as in this case) the lives of man and animal manage to interpenetrate with such sublime harmony. Unmissable.
Reviewed by rolandpopp 7 / 10

Fascinating!

A film crew travels to a remote area of Tibet to document that a snow leopard has entered a sheep enclosure, killed nine bucks and is still in it, threatening the rest of the herd. On the way, they pick up the budding monk and member of the affected Tsetsen Tashi family. He is considered a "snow leopard" monk because he is fascinated by the animals and pursues them - at least with his camera. The owner of the flock of sheep is totally upset and wants to kill the predator, but is persuaded to call in the regional authorities first and then the police - both of course occupied by Chinese. And with them he rattles against each other - up to physical arguments - since the animals are of course strictly protected. Meanwhile, the monk comes into contact with the snow leopard in dream-like sequences and a member of the film team is also infected by the fascination for the animal. Both try to calm the situation ... . ... so different, so beautiful; You immerse yourself in a completely different culture, the differences between occupiers and occupied are obvious, but the Tibetans are never showed as victims. They know very well how to defend themselves. And in the end, it's the spiritual component of the film that fascinates - including the mostly very convincingly CGI-animated snow leopard.
Reviewed by gfwmbgz 1 / 10

Gratuitous animal violence

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