The Velvet Queen

The Velvet Queen (La Panthère des neiges) 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 in their feature-length debut, and premiered in the Cinema for the Climate section at the 74th Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021, with a wider theatrical release in France on 15 December and a limited release in the United States on 22 December. It won Best Documentary Film at the 47th César Awards, and Best Documentary at the 27th Lumières Awards.

Synopsis
"In the heart of the Tibetan highlands, multi-award-winning nature photographer Vincent Munier guides writer Sylvain Tesson on his quest to document the infamously elusive snow leopard. Munier introduces Tesson to the subtle art of waiting from a blind spot, tracking animals, and finding the patience to catch sight of the beasts. Through their journey in the Tibetan peaks, inhabited by invisible presences, the two men ponder humankind's place amongst the magnificent creatures and glorious landscapes they encounter along the way".

Release
The film had its world premiere in the Cinema for the Climate section at the 74th Cannes Film Festival on 13 July 2021. It had a wider theatrical release in France on 15 December and a limited release in USA by Oscilloscope Pictures on 22 December. It was released on VOD by Oscilloscope Video on 24 January 2023.

Box office
The Velvet Queen grossed $151,006 in North America, and $5.6 million in other territories.

Critical response
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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com described the film as "a calming, meditative experience." Paul Byrnes of The Sydney Morning Herald rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "transcendently beautiful." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian also rated the film 4 out of 5, stating that "the film has a real writer whose style rises above the cliche into which nature documentary almost always descends."

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was created by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and released on 17 December 2021 by Lakeshore Records. Siobhán Kane of The Irish Times rated the soundtrack 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "naturally wonderful". Lucy Harbron of Clash rated it 7/10, commenting that the soundtrack "feels like an essential part of the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis discography."