Wildcat

Really moving. A who is saving who story.

I really enjoy the first 2/3 of this film, but it loses me when it loses focus of Keanu. The problem with the human narrative is Harry doesn't have much of a character arc. He's suicidal in the beginning and he's still suicidal in the end, unsurprisingly after being left ALONE and ISOLATED deep in the jungle for 1.5 years. Probably not the best fit for this kind of project. I watched the film a second time with my parents and they had me turn it off with 20 minutes left. Harry saying "f***" every other word was too much for them. Far from My Octopus Teacher.

Although this movie was put together very well and had such an authentic and meaningful story - PLEASE for the love of god DO NOT watch this if you have ever struggled with self-harm, depression, or have a suicidal past. I was not prepared for the triggers in this film and was honestly astonished at how much they left in there. I have been in a better mental space recently and watching this really sent me down a spiral I was not hoping to fall down. Be careful!

Prepare to be inspired by a new documentary, Wildcat, directed and produced by Melissa Lesh and Trevor Beck Frost, which leaves viewers in a whirlwind of emotions and can turn your heart from empty to full at the drop of a dime. This is a film that you are not going to want to miss. Struggling with depression and PTSD as a result from his time spent as a British soldier in Afghanistan, young Harry Turner attempts to escape his world in order to restore peace to his troubled life. That escape lands him deep within the Peruvian Amazon where he teams up with American scientist Samantha Zwicker, and together they work diligently to save injured and orphaned wildlife at Hoja Nueva Rehabilitation Center. The film focuses mainly on the duo's efforts to rehabilitate and "re-wild" orphaned ocelots, and their work seems to put purpose back into their lives. Harry continues with his mental struggles throughout the film and, although his efforts at Hoja Nueva are helping him overcome these challenges, the film highlights for us that these struggles may never truly be defeated. There is so much to love and appreciate in Wildcat. The cinematography is terrific as it takes us to one of the most remote and biodiverse places on our globe, allowing viewers to get close up views of some incredible species of animals. The story demonstrates that beauty can indeed be woven into the lives of those who have dark days. And since I absolutely love cats and our family has been involved in cat rescue for many decades, I commend Harry and Samantha for their efforts in wildcat conservation and highlighting for us how difficult yet rewarding this line of work can be. Wildcat is a true masterpiece. There are so many important thoughts to take with you after watching the film, and yet the film's most important message is about hope and courage. Mental illness is a life threatening disease, but, with some hope and a whole lot of courage, someone suffering from this condition can learn to cope with their disorder. There is certainly also the message about the importance of conservation and the willingness to volunteer in order to protect and restore our fragile ecosystems. We need more wildlife warriors and this film just may be a call to action for those conservation minded people. Parents need to be aware of some adult language throughout the film and at times some of the scenes display some very dark moments for Harry. I give Wildcat 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Adults will also absolutely love this film. By Dominic D., KIDS FIRST!

A documentary that sticks with you and is not afraid to offend or frustrate. It just shows a piece of life, pure and unveiled ... This is how a documentary should be.

Wildcat ist ein Dokumentarfilm von Trevor Frost und Melissa Lesch… Ein Soldat, der mit Depressionen und PTBS zu kämpfen hat, findet im Regenwald des Amazonas eine zweite Chance… Der Film schildert unter anderem, wie ein verwaistes Ozelots Baby und dessen Pflege ein heilsamer Helfer für posttraumatische Belastungsstörung sein kann… Der Dokumentarfilm erzählt eine menschliche und eine tierische Geschichte, die miteinander verbunden ist, und dadurch eine heilende Kraft entwickeln kann… Wildcat erzählt seine Geschichte mit Bravour, er ist ein unterhaltsamer und gut gemachter Dokumentarfilm. Ja, Wildcat ist auch ein bewegender Dokumentarfilm, der alle Kriterien erfüllt.

Wow!! Uhmm... this was great and sad. It had me feeling emotions I haven't felt in a long time. So unpredictable and frustrating but full of love and emotion. A must watch, although I have to admit I had to watch it in 3 sections. To overwhelming for me and yes I had to stop it because I did cry alot. Even now that I finished watching it my eyes are blurry from tears and I really need to blow my nose. Lol I absolutely loved it because it's raw just like real life and all its unexpected twists aaand turns life is unpredictable and so is this documentary. So touching..💯💥💞

This is a beautiful story from real life that touches you very deeply and provides insights into truly important work by caring people. ❤️

Absolute rollercoaster of emotions watching this , the ocelots, his relationship , his family and his struggles with ptsd after serving with the British military, what an amazing person he is!!!

I enjoyed watching this and would recommend it. That said, I'm going to open with some criticisms. First and foremost, this *is* a documentary about conservation. It is *also* a documentary about PTSD and mental illness. It may have been a poor choice on the part of the filmmakers to put so much emphasis on Harry's mental health struggles. There's something about stacking so many scenes, one after the other, showing him at his emotional nadir that feels somewhat exploitative. It's telling of this over-emphasis that almost all of the negative reviews express a significant lack of empathy for Harry. For those who felt the same, let me tell you: you're missing the point. Mental illness is a gritty business, you don't always have happy endings, and there are often a lot of ugly moments. But it would be unfair to judge this documentary harshly for that; quite the contrary, it should be praised for courageously displaying the dark side instead of hiding it. In doing so, they would generate some empathy for the person suffering, since most portrayals of these problems tend to focus so much more on how a person's mental illness affects their loved ones instead, while reducing the afflicted person to one dimension and nothing more. So often people, veterans in particular, are relegated to suffer in silence; to put on a brave face and carry on. This movie shows that yes, even for men, sometimes it's okay not to be okay. Facing your feelings is a part of the healing process after all. Samantha has her own history with an abusive alcoholic father, which the filmmakers more or less announce has given her a bit of an "I can fix them" attitude when it comes to her dating choices, and Harry is a big example of that. And it does dive into her conflicted feelings about him; How she loved her father and /did/ cherish the good aspects of who he was, but the same time fearing and hating the side of him that was an abusive alcoholic. The complex relationship. But the overarching narrative the documentary contrives about how the arc of their relationship intersects with both Sam and Harry's pasts and the needs of the animals feels just that--contrived. And that's something seen with both of them; there were a few scenes that definitely felt more like performances than actual raw footage; and those moments induced that exploitative sense I described earlier. In particular is a monologue where Samantha talks about "letting the jungle swallow the past" which was, quite frankly, just ever so slightly cringe-worthy. That said, however, all in all it was a stirring documentary full of both great emotional highs that are exhilarating, and some emotional lows that are real gut-punches. It does a good job highlighting the issues facing conservationists in the rapidly-vanishing rainforests of South America, as well as the real struggle of mental health that veterans so often suffer in silence.