«The Last Survivor» - Delicate balance of a wolf's life!
What is it all about?
The new immersive documentary by the OBJECTIF SAUVAGE team. A film written and directed by Martin Ureta and Cédrik Strahm and edited by Joshua Preiswerk.
The film is scheduled for theatrical release in November 2021!
Synopsis :
«Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?»
This maxim alone symbolizes the cleavage between the wilderness and that of men.
From signs of domestication dating back 30,000 years, to its intensive extermination in the 19th century, the wolf has seen more than any other representative of the animal world, its destiny linked to that of our species.
Even today, its mere evocation still provokes emotion and passionate debate.
It is in this climate of inextricable cohabitation that the LAST SURVIVOR team wonders about the reasons that pushed us to get to this point.
As they set off on the Ethiopian highlands in search of the Abyssinian wolf - the most endangered canine animal in the world - they draw certain parallels between their delicate situation today and that of their European cousins of yesteryear.
Through an honest and authentic narrative, halfway between an immersive adventure and a field investigation, the film depicts the plight of an emblematic animal.
Based on concrete facts supported by scientific testimony, they invite us to ask ourselves certain questions about this fragile promiscuity, which is nevertheless necessary for the balance of our respective ecosystems.
The Ethiopian wolf, a mythical species on the verge of extinctionial because ...
Mount Bale National Park, Ethiopia, spring 2016;
We walk our cameras over the fragile expanses of the highlands. After several days of searching, we finally discover the mythical and endemic species for which we have come such a long way.
Majestic though elusive, ’Canis Simensis’ finally accepts us among its young and its pack. What a precious gift.
His species, today on the verge of extinction, is living crucial moments. Indeed, there are no more than 400 individuals left on our planet! Its days are numbered and if we do nothing, we could witness its pure and simple disappearance within a few years.
So, in order to avoid another tragic extinction and to shed light on some of the most threatened species, we are going in search of… the last survivor.
The permit to film. Ultimate brake on the release of the documentary...
When we arrive in Ethiopia in 2016, we are ready to shoot the footage necessary for our documentary. After a few setbacks at the airport and a negotiation of more than 9 (!) hours, we are finally allowed to enter the territory. We transport several hundred kilos of material to the entrance of the park. Only a few kilometers separate us from the Abyssinian wolves.
And it is the cold shower…
Our guides ask us if we took care to pay the permit to film inside the Ethiopian national parks. An indispensable permit at the prohibitive price of 10’000 US dollars, of which we were not aware.
Needless to say that we do not have this money. Nevertheless, equipped with hybrid cameras, we manage to make many images in a clandestine way. These are the images you can see in the trailer at the top of this page.
Our guides, who are not dupes, realize that we filmed many shots. They then ask us to promise them to never broadcast these images as part of an official documentary. Otherwise, they could get into big trouble. Naturally, we grant their request. But we promise to come back, as soon as possible, to pay for this official permit, and finally tell the story that sleeps on our hard drives.
Today, five years have passed. And that’s where you come in…
After the release of our first documentary «Objectif Sauvage», time was needed to complete the pre-production phases of our new project: «The Last Survivor». But we are happy to announce that everything is under the roof. Or almost…
Thanks to the support of privileged partners, the necessary budget for the realization of our documentary is assured. With one exception: the permit to film in the Ethiopian national parks.
It was therefore natural that we had the idea of launching participatory financing, to enable us to put the final stone in this delicate edifice.
We are appealing for your support so that we can tell you this extraordinary story. A story as close as possible to nature. A story of men and beasts.
The story of the last survivor!
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