A Vida dos Leopardos

The jazzy funky music destroys the beautiful filming, and the cameramen miss the best parts of the action every time. Something big is happening and it suddenly cuts to the aftermath. In particular, when the adult Leopard males engage in a fight. They film them engaging with each other, then completely lose them when they fight and cut to them just being wounded afterwards. They also miss the cheetah chasing the young male. 2 major points of the narrative completely missed by the cameramen. This shows how unprepared the film crew are. Shame, because it's generally filmed well when slow moments are occurring. The main issue for me, however, is the shocking choice of music which distracts you from the narrative and beauty. Whoever signed off on the funky pop music should be embarrassed. It would have been so much better if the music was more ethereal and intense. I just found myself getting frustrated by it.

As "Living With Leopards" (2024 release from the UK; 71 min.) opens, we are in the "Okavango Delta, Botswana", and Brad is following and filming a female leopard named Mothuma. The leopard freefalls from 40 feet high into a tree onto an unsuspecting prey. Why would she take such a risk? Soon we understand as she has 2 cubs to feed and protect, "unknown to the world for the initial 3 months". At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from award nominated British director Alex Parkinson ("Last Breath"). Here, he brings the tale of a group of photographers in Botswana who are following the trace of one leopard family. They spend wees, months, years to capture the incredible footage that this documentary contains (it was filmed over a period of 2 1/2 years). And when I say "incredible footage", I mean this documentary brings to the screen various scenes that I never imagined could be caught on tape. Then again, think of it this way: it took the film makers 30 months to capture this on tape, and we are seeing this distilled into 71 minutes... Kudos also the the top-notch original score for this documentary.

"Living With Leopards" recently started streaming on Netflix, and I caught it last night. So glad I did. If you are in the mood for a top quality nature documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Absolutely loved this program. The dedication of these people is incredible. The photography was amazing, have never seen anything like it before. The only negative aspect was sometimes the accompanying music was a bit overwhelming and though I understand the purpose it actually took away from the commentary at times.

Otherwise this type of programming is just so wonderful and inspiring. Really makes you appreciate all living beings and the hope that one day everyone will feel like these people and become mindful of their daily activities to minimize the impacts that wildlife is subject to daily.

I am writing this review to hopefully give some appreciation to everyone involved in this project. It was a great honour to get a glimpse of leopards' lives.

Following this family was fascinating experience. I wished it could be a longer, or at least 2 part series given the crew spend months following this family.

The quality of the footage really surprised me, lovely narration with sentimental notes. The combination give a feeling of being a part of something special. Breath-taking African sunsets.

Now I wonder how the cubs are doing out there on their own. If they started their family, if they ever met again.

"Living with Leopards" offers a captivating glimpse into the world of these elusive predators. Following two leopard cubs from infancy to adulthood, the documentary provides a heartwarming and educational look at their development and the challenges they face.

Nature lovers will appreciate: 1) Stunning visuals showcasing the leopards' habitat and hunting techniques.

2) An intimate portrayal of the mother-cub bond and the cubs' playful antics.

3) Insights into the threats leopards face in the wild.

While not perfect: 1) The focus on just two cubs might leave some viewers wanting a broader view of leopard life.

2) The narration could delve deeper into the scientific aspects of leopard behavior for a more well-rounded experience.

Overall, "Living with Leopards" is a delightful and informative documentary perfect for families and anyone with a soft spot for these magnificent creatures.