The Velvet Queen (French: La Panthère des neiges; lit. 'The Snow Panther') is a 2021 French-language documentary film. It follows Sylvain Tesson and Vincent Munier as they attempt to find a snow leopard in Tibet. The film was directed by Marie Amiguet and Munier, and premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021, with a wider theatrical release on 22 December. It won Best Documentary Film at the 47th César Awards, and Best Documentary at the 27th Lumières Awards.[1] The film received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its musical score and cinematography.
| The Velvet Queen | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Produced by | Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin |
| Music by | |
| Distributed by | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 46 reviews and an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Its narration might not be distracting for some, but The Velvet Queen more than makes up for it with some truly striking cinematography."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[3]
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com described the film as "a calming, meditative experience."[4] Paul Byrnes of The Sydney Morning Herald rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "transcendently beautiful."[5]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumières Award | 17 January 2022 | Best Documentary | The Velvet Queen | Won | [1][6] |
| César Awards | 25 February 2022 | Best Documentary Film | The Velvet Queen | Won | |
| Best Original Music | Nick Cave and Warren Ellis | Nominated | |||
| Best First Feature Film | The Velvet Queen | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b "César 2022. « La Panthère des neiges » du Vosgien Vincent Munier et de Marie Amiguet remporte le César du meilleur film documentaire". www.vosgesmatin.fr (in French). 25 February 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "The Velvet Queen". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "The Velvet Queen". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (22 December 2021). "The Velvet Queen movie review (2021) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Byrnes, Paul (9 November 2022). "See this snow leopard movie for the images of transcendent beauty". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 January 2022). "César Awards Nominations: 'Lost Illusions', 'Annette', 'Aline' Dominate; 'Titane' Shut Out Of Best Film Race – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 4 March 2023.