Snow Leopard (Chinese: 雪豹; pinyin: Xue bao) is a 2023 Chinese Tibetan-language drama film written and directed by Pema Tseden, at his final film. it premiered out of competition at the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

Snow Leopard
Directed byPema Tseden
Written byPema Tseden
StarringJinpa
Xiong Ziqi
CinematographyMatthias Delvaux
Edited byJin Di
Music byDurkar Tserang
Production
companies
China Film Co., Ltd
Great Luck Films
OPEN Pictures
Qinghai Manishi Film Co., Ltd.
iQIYI Pictures
Distributed byChina Film Co., Ltd
Release dates
  • 5 September 2023 (2023-09-05) (Venice)
  • 3 April 2024 (2024-04-03) (China)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageTibetan

Plot

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The film is based on the story of a globally endangered animal, the snow leopard, which killed nine goats of a herder. It explores different people's views and motives on the snow leopard killing the goats. Each party has their own choice and persistence on whether to release the snow leopard trapped in the sheepfold. The seemingly reasonable demands have become the fuse that intensifies the conflicts among multiple parties.

Cast

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  • Jinpa
  • Xiong Ziqi
  • Tseten Tashi
  • Losang Choepel
  • Genden Phuntsok

Production

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The film was shot between March and July 2022, in the Three Rivers Nature Reserve, in the Tibetan Plateau.[1] It is the final film of Tseden, as he died four months before its premiere.[2]

Release

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The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.[3][4] It was also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[5]

The film was showcased in 'China on the move' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 21, 2024.[6]

Reception

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The film was awarded Tokyo Grand Prix (Best Film) at the 2023 36th Tokyo International Film Festival.[7] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.30/10.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Frater, Patrick (15 July 2022). "Tibet's Pema Tseden Wraps 'Snow Leopard' High Altitude Drama Film". Variety. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  2. ^ Tsui, Clarence (6 September 2023). "Snow Leopard (review)". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  3. ^ Berra, John (6 September 2023). "'Snow Leopard': Venice Review". Screen International. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. ^ Mottram, James (6 September 2023). "Snow Leopard: late Tibetan director's film shows best and worst of humanity". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  5. ^ Vlessing, Etan (10 August 2023). "Jenna Ortega's 'Finestkind,' Dakota Johnson's 'Daddio' Added to Toronto Film Fest Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  6. ^ "23rd New York Asian Film Festival: Schedule & Tickets". NYAFF. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  7. ^ Ntim, Zac (1 November 2023). "Tokyo Film Festival Winners: 'Snow Leopard' By Late Tibetan Filmmaker Pema Tseden Takes Top Prize". Deadline. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Snow Leopard". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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