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Kamchatka Bears. Life Begins

South Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary is often called bear paradise. A production team of LESFILM headed there to film a documentary about the real lives of brown bear families. We spent seven months observing and unveiling secrets of the newborn bear cubs’ daily life. This is a movie that differs from the other nature documentary. The film is meditative. Music, the sounds of nature and the absence of a human voice allow the viewer to plunge into the beauty of wild nature as much as possible, to feel its presence among volcanoes, rivers and wild animals, and simultaneously experience an important boundary, beyond which a person should not interfere. The film shows the world of nature that lives in line with its laws — one that is friendly to those who enter it with respect and an open heart.

For broadcasting there is a version with the voice over.

  • Irina Zhuravleva
    Director
  • Vladislav Grishin
    Director
  • Irina Zhuravleva
    Producer
  • Georgy Khimoroda
    Composer
  • Yulia Glukhova
    Sound director
  • Dmitry Shpilenok
    Director of Photography
  • Mikhail Rodionov
    Cinematography
  • Gennady Shalikov
    Cinematography
  • Dmitry Voronov
    Cinematography
  • Mike Korostelev
    Cinematography
  • Andrey Zakharenko
    Cinematography
  • Nina Bisyarina
    Animation
  • Vladimir Arkhipov
    Sound technician
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    55 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 16, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    Russian Federation
  • Country of Filming:
    Russian Federation
  • Language:
    English, Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Trento Filmfestival
    Trento
    Italy
    July 22, 2018
    Italian
    Official Selection
  • NaturVision Filmfestival
    Ludwigsburg
    Germany
    July 21, 2018
    German
    Official Selection
  • SunChild International Environmental Festival
    Yerevan
    Armenia
    July 22, 2018
    Official Selection, Best Wildlife Wonderland Film
  • Gran Paradiso Film Festival
    Cogne
    Italy
    July 23, 2018
    Official Selection, Best Nature Film, Youth Jury Prize
  • Okno Filmfest
    Vyborg
    Russian Federation
    August 13, 2018
    Official Selection, Diploma of the jury, Diploma of Savva Kulish «For creative search»
  • Mongu International forum of ethnoecological films
    Bishkek
    Kyrgyzstan
    September 7, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Open Film Festival «Kinoshock»
    Anapa
    Russian Federation
    September 9, 2018
    Official Selection, Diploma for the camera crew: for revealing the wild nature of Kamchatka
  • International Arctic Film Festival «Golden Raven»
    Anadyr
    Russian Federation
    September 11, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Green Screen International Wildlife Film Festival
    Eckernfoerde
    Germany
    September 15, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Flahertiana International Documentary Film Festival
    Perm
    Russian Federation
    September 19, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Matsalu International Nature Film Festival
    Lihula
    Estonia
    September 23, 2018
    Official Selection, Highly Commended Diploma
  • Baikal International Film Festival «People and Environment» n.a. V.G. Rasputin
    Irkutsk
    Russian Federation
    September 23, 2018
    Official Selection, Special Jury Prize for Cinematography
  • Zero Plus International Film Festival
    Tyumen
    Russian Federation
    October 5, 2018
    Official Selection, Grand Prix
  • Film festival about tourism and traveling «Russia inspires!»
    Rostov-on-Don
    Russian Federation
    October 11, 2018
    Official Selection, Grand Prix
  • EKOFILM International Environmental Film Festival
    Brno
    Czech Republic
    October 11, 2018
    Official Selection, Best film in «Beauty of Nature» category
  • Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam
    Rotterdam
    Netherlands
    October 25, 2018
    Official Selection, Nominated for «Newcomer» award
  • International Charity Film Festival «Luchezarniy Angel»
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    November 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Sondrio International Documentary Film Festival on Parks
    Sondrio
    Italy
    November 15, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Greenmotions Film Festival
    Freiburg
    Germany
    November 18, 2018
    Official Selection
  • MAPLANET(e) Film Festival
    Metz
    France
    November 18, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Torelló Mountain Film Festival
    Torello
    Spain
    November 24, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Journey through Russia
    Stolby Nature Sanctuary
    Russian Federation
    January 12, 2018
    Official Selection
  • The Nature Film Day
    Tampere
    Finland
    August 12, 2018
  • The International Tourism Film Festival «Rendezvous with Russia»
    Vologda
    Russian Federation
    September 12, 2018
    Winner in the nomination «To Russia for Adventures»
  • Open Film Festival «Nature Reserve Format»
    Kandalaksha
    Russian Federation
    January 4, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Diorama International Film Festival
    New Delhi
    India
    January 20, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Guro Kids International Film Festival
    Seoul
    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
    April 16, 2019
    Director's Award
  • Cinema Planeta International Environmental Film Festival of Mexico
    Cuernavaca
    Mexico
    June 5, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Zlin Film Festival
    Zlin
    Czech Republic
    June 5, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Innsbruck Nature Film Festival
    Innsbruck
    Austria
    October 10, 2019
    Nominated for the Shortlist of the 2019
Distribution Information
  • Irina Zhuravleva, Lesfilm
    Sales Agent
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Irina Zhuravleva, Vladislav Grishin

Irina has been engaged for more than seven years in cultural and media projects concerning a responsible attitude to the environment. Now Irina is working on the second film about old forests and asian black bears. Based in Perm and Moscow, Russia.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Modern man has fallen away from nature, and this gap only grows. People are less likely to intersect with wild animals, and if they do, the animals are often seen as either a threat or as objects of gain. This is especially true for large predators, such as the brown bear. Fortunately, there are places on the earth where humans manage to protect them and live with them in real harmony. We want to open the curtain and give an opportunity to quietly observe our neighbours and, in this case, the beginning of a new life, admire the bears themselves, and their home. Our goal is to plunge the audience into an atmosphere of natural balance which still remains in protected areas, evoking a deeper desire to investigate and conserve what we still have. The film showcases the world of nature that lives in line with its laws but is open to those who enter it with respect and knowledge.

The LESFILM team comprises a number of skilled professional experts, among them famous environmental activist and photographer Igor Shpilenok and ecologist Dr. Valentin Pazhetnov, who is widely known as 'Uncle Bear'.