Page 17 - Autumn Lineup Catalogue 2021

Planet Without Apes
1 x 60’, 2021, HD
The film follows reporter Michel Abdollahi on his worldwide search to uncover the illegal trade of great apes. Together with former poachers, his journey begins in the
Congo basin where he tries to see the last living bonobos. Instead, he finds a bonobo mother shot by poachers; for every baby ape that ends up in a zoo or as a pet, an
average of ten adult apes die. To expose the traffickers, Michel pretends to be a buyer and secretly films the deal. A Congolese whistleblower, formerly a key player in the
illegal trade, reveals the role of corrupt politicians and officials. Michel travels to China, the USA, the UAE and Thailand, and sees how demand is a big driver for this trade.
In a rundown zoo on the rooftop of a Bangkok shopping mall, Michel spots a hidden bonobo with questionable documentation. With the help of international experts
like Jane Goodall, he tries to free the young ape. However, the Thai authorities ignore all evidence and refuse to cooperate. In the end, Michel realises that CITES, an
international treaty aimed at regulating wildlife trade, is flawed and has neither real power to help the bonobo nor to protect great apes.

NDR/Doclights TODAY - NATURE & WILDLIFE

Rare Survivors: China’s Iconic Wildlife Snow Leopards And Friends
1 x 60’, 2021, 4K 1 x 60’, 2021, 4K
Mist swirls around the base of Shanghai’s skyline. From the city, tigers and monkeys It’s midwinter in the mountains of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, four kilometers up,
seem as mysterious and distant as dragons or mermaids emerging through the and airless. This is the home of the rare snow leopard, the spirit of the Himalayas.
mist. Yet they do exist, as rare survivors in an extraordinary and diverse landscape. Isolated yak herders have battled snow leopards, bears and wolves for generations;
From snow leopards to wild horses, and from alligators to elephants, China’s iconic these are old animosities. In 2006, the area became a reserve, and a gun ban was
wildlife is a lot more than just pandas. This is a film about rare survivors, some well- strictly enforced. The herders have no way to protect their yak and start losing 10%
known and much loved, and others important and iconic. Filmed for the first time, of their calves each year. What to do? Spectacular wildlife and a stunning backdrop
these animals are all charming, fascinating, and fragile. are the setting for a moving true story about the power of nature, of motherhood,
and the fragility of life.
Terra Mater Factual Studios/Mark Fletcher Productions/ Terra Mater Factual Studios/Mark Fletcher Productions/ 11
Colorful Nature Films Wild China Films