An unexpected incident of a snow leopard breaking into the sheep pen of a local herder and killing nine rams not only causes a stir in the family, but also attracts a TV crew into the village…

“I hope this is a true work of magical realism and not a specious fantasy movie.” (Pema Tseden)

” ‘The snow leopard is a first-class protected animal.’ This statement is frequently delivered during SNOW LEOPARD, but it has a different undercurrent depending on who is speaking. The pioneering Tibetan auteur Pema Tseden, who died from heart failure on May 8 at the age of 53, devoted his career to illustrating the complexities of modern life in his native land, and his final completed feature is no exception.” (Screen Daily, John Berra)

Pema Tseden was a Tibetan director, screenwriter and author. Most of his films were shot in Tibetan language by Tibetan teams. Widely recognized as a pioneer of the Tibetan “New Wave”, his body of cinematic works includes THE SILENT HOLY STONES, THE SEARCH, OLD DOG, THARLO, JINPA and BALLOON. His films screened at Venice FF, Locarno FF, TIFF and many other major film festivals, winning over 40 prizes worldwide.

Filmography: 2005 THE SILENT HOLY STONES, 2007 THE SEARCH, 2010 OLD DOG, 2014 THE SACRED ARROW, 2015 THARLO, 2018 JINPA, 2019 BALLOON, 2023 SNOW LEOPARD

Awards (selection): Tokio Grand Prix for Best Film (Tokio International Film Festival, Japan 2023), Golden Coconut for Best Director (Hainan International Film Festival, China 2023)