A recommendation: Wildcat documentary
One of the best documentaries from 2022 is a film titled Wildcat (co-directed by Trevor Frost & Melissa Lesh), available to watch streaming on Prime Video now. It initially premiered at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival last fall, and stopped by a few other fests before debuting online with Amazon. It's a really lively, invigorating film about how hard life is on this planet. "Wildcat is a very tender film that is less about nature itself, more about the connection we have as human beings with nature." I wrote a glowing review of the film last year - read in full here (Opens in a new window). "Working for animals and helping care for the planet actually gives value to our actions, to the lives we live. Helping someone, and helping animals especially, is such a different way to live on this world, and it gives us something to truly live for, to feel like we've made a difference in our lives. This is what keeps Harry going..." I was very deeply moved by Wildcat and still think about it from time to time, not only because the baby ocelot wild cats in it are absolutely adorable, also because it's a great film helping us to overcome any challenges we might face in our lives. I highly recommend watching this doc.
Wildcat follows the emotional and inspiring story of a young veteran on his journey into the Amazon. Once there, he meets a young woman running a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, and his life finds new meaning as he is entrusted with the life of an orphaned baby ocelot. What was meant to be an attempt to escape from life, turns out to be an unexpected journey of love, discovery, and healing. Back from war in Afghanistan, a young British soldier struggling with depression and PTSD finds a second chance in the Amazon rainforest when he meets an American researcher, and together they foster an orphaned baby ocelot.
A large part of what makes this film stand out is that it's a great challenge to tell this story with care & understanding, and edit all of this footage from across many years into a film that is inspiring & engaging. Documentaries can be really exciting to watch to admire how much effort goes into putting together the film. They have to arrange all this footage of Harry and Samantha into a coherent narrative, while also making sure to build in themes that dig deeper into what's happening with these two and their rescue efforts in the jungle. Which is why I think this film deserves to be seen, as it connects powerfully to the concept of how we as humans interact with nature, connect with nature, and most importantly, can be healed by nature. It's a story of connection and growth, not only about humanity, but how this entire planet grows together.
For more details on the film, visit its official site (Opens in a new window). Or head to your Prime Video platform to watch the Wildcat doc anytime via Amazon.com (Opens in a new window).
