The Shepherd and the Bear

By the 1990s, brown bears in the French Pyrenees were on the verge of extinction. Efforts to reintroduce them to the area have seen some success – but when Yves is nearly killed by a bear, the government, media, and the locals must reckon with a moral dilemma: should these apex predators be encouraged to roam in a traditional farming region whose human inhabitants struggle to survive, and whose sheep have long roamed free? Director Max Keegan spent two years living in the Pyrenees, building trust and understanding. In the spirit of Honeyland (SFF 2019) and The Truffle Hunters, the resultant film transports us fully to these majestic mountain ranges, aided by Amine Bouhafa’s (Four Daughters, SFF 2023) superb score.

Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.