Canadian Premiere
With this film, Jean-Michel Bertrand concludes a multi-part project, previous entries of which VIFF has been proud to show. The nature-loving documentarian embeds himself in nature to film and study wolves—their habits, their numbers, and their migratory behaviour. It’s a labour of love for Bertrand, and for all his equanimity he cannot conceal the passion that drives him. Besides the requisite immersion in nature, Living With Wolves features a study of the politics surrounding wolf life in Western Europe—the spirited, even harsh, advocacy for and against the animals.
Farmers, union lobbies, shepherds, and other stakeholders… They all have their own perspectives, and this nuanced conversation is one of the film’s attractions. But nothing can top the views of natural life. Working with four cinematographers, Bertrand conveys the beauty of the lower Alps, and his yen for the environment is infectious. Especially notable are his infrared camera setups, which capture the lupine subjects unaware—and which provide the film’s concluding note of hope.
Supported by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Jean-Michel Bertrand
France
2023
In English (dubbed) and French with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Jean-Pierre Bailly
Producer
Jean-Pierre Bailly, Stéphane Millière
Screenwriter
Jean-Michel Bertrand
Cinematography
Marie Amiguet, Jean-Michel Bertrand, Bruno Peyronnet, Pierre Sellier
Editor
Laurence Buchmann
Original Music
Armand Amar
Jean-Michel Bertrand
Jean-Michel Bertrand is a director whose passion for nature has taken him around the world. He embarked on a quest for the golden eagle, producing his award-winning documentary Vertigo of Encounter (2009). His other films include The Valley of the Wolves (2016) and Wolf Walk (2019). Living With Wolves is the final film in his wolf trilogy.
Filmography: Vertigo of Encounter (2009); The Valley of the Wolves (2016); Wolf Walk (2019)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Wind Will Carry Us
Kiarostami's dry comic masterpiece follows a Tehrani film team's thwarted attempts to document a traditional Kurdish funeral... Trouble being, there's no one to bury, and, worse, virtually no cell service...
Late Fame
Based on a novella by Arthur Schnitzler (Eyes Wide Shut) this is a sly, poignant comedy about vanity and art from director Kent Jones, starring Willem Dafoe as a mailman belatedly acclaimed for a book of poetry he wrote in his youth.
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is an assassin, but he's also an existential loner who adheres to his personal code. Despite the thriller trappings, this is really a lampoon of that genre, and a melancholy reverie for the cultural melting pot we call home.
Franz
Veteran Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland takes the bull by the horns to craft a Kafka biopic that's Kafkaesque and then some, artfully layering scenes from Kafka's life and works along with ironic present-day footage for a truly surreal counterpoint.
