A WHITE DREAM

Synopsis

A dreamer of images and a lover of the cold, wildlife photographer Jérémie Villet travels alone across the white deserts of the northern hemisphere with his pulka and telephoto lens, in search of animals living in the cold. On his next expedition to Canada’s far north, Jérémie is preparing to explore the extreme wilderness of the Yukon, with the main aim of photographing the emblematic mountain goat. The difficulty of accessing the mountain territories where this animal lives and the freezing temperatures will make his task difficult. With its unique adventures and encounters with people and animals, the documentary gives us a glimpse into the photographer’s private life and a delicate look at a changing world.

Year :

2021

PRODUCTION :

Bonne Pioche Télévision & Arte France

team :

A film directed by Mathieu Le Lay
Written by Mathieu Le Lay, Aurélie Saillard, Jérémie Villet
Produced by Alexandre Soullier
Photography & sound : Mathieu Le Lay
Additional images : Jérémie Villet
Editing & colour-grading : Mathieu Le Lay
Original soundtrack : Franck Zaragoza
Mixing : Laurent Mollard

Duration :

52 minutes

Diffusers :

Arte France
Ushuaïa TV

Official selections :

‣ 14th BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia, Spain
‣ FIPADOC Biarritz 2022, France
‣ Festival Curieux Voyageurs 2022, France
‣ Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2022, England
‣ 7th Ulju Mountain Film Festival, South Korea
‣ 20th NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival – Wanaka, New Zealand
‣ 25th Val d’Isère International Adventure and Discovery Film Festival, France
‣ 45th Missoula International Wildlife Film Festival, United States
‣ Chamonix Film Festival 2022, France
‣ 9th Festival Images & Montagnes de Saint-Martin de Vésubie, France
‣ 21st NaturVision Film Festival, Germany
‣ Green Screen Naturfilmfestival 2022, Germany
‣ 24th Gran Paradiso Film Festival, Italy
‣ Wildlife Conservation Film Festival 2022 – New York, United States
‣ 7th Alpin Film Festival – Brașov, Romania
‣ 13th Eho Mountain Film Festival 2022 – Skopje, Macedonia
‣ 7th Festival Pyrénéen de l’Image Nature – Cauterets, France
‣ 27th Ladek Mountain Film Festival, Poland
‣ 6th What a Trip Festival – Montpellier, France
‣ Wildlife Film Festival 2022 – Rotterdam, Netherlands
‣ 30th Medzinárodný Festival Horských Filmov – Poprad, Slovakia
‣ 31st Les Écrans de l’Aventure – Dijon, France
‣ 4th Festival du Film Aventure Nature Autrement – Passy, France
‣ 18th Inkafest Mountain Film Festival – Arequipa, Peru
‣ 28th International Nature Festival Namur, Belgium
‣ 19th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany
‣ 21st Le Grand Bivouac – Albertville, France
‣ Xplore Alpes Festival 2022 – Tignes & Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France
‣

46th Banff Mountain Film Festival, Canada
‣ 40th BBVA Torelló Mountain Film Festival – Torelló, Spain
‣ 33rd Internationales Berg und Abenteuer Filmfestival – Graz, Austria
‣ 2022 Mountain and Exploration Film Festival – Saulxures-lès-Nancy, France
‣ 22nd Rendez-vous du Carnet de Voyage – Clermont-Ferrand, France
‣ 33rd Festival Image Montagne – Lons, France
‣ 12th Dutch Mountain Film Festival 2022 – Heerlen, Netherlands
‣ Festival Internacional de Cine de Montaña Ushuaia Shh 2022, Argentina
‣ 19th International Adventure Film & Book Festival – La Rochelle, France
‣ 42nd Kendal Mountain Festival – Kendal, England
‣ 14th Rencontres de la Cinémathèque de Montagne – Gap, France
‣ 36th FRAPNA International Nature & Environment Film Festival – Grenoble, France
‣ 39th Autrans International Mountain Film Festival, France
‣ 20th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, Nepal
‣ 15th Bovec Outdoor Film Festival, Slovenia
‣ Festival Alti-Attitudes 2023 in Marignier, France
‣ 360 Degrees of Adventure 2023, France
‣ 17th Gorniškega Filma Festival, Slovakia
‣ 26th Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Canada
‣ Wild Adventure Festival 2023, Belgium
‣ 19th Festival Partances, France
‣ 8th Festival Les Rendez-Vous de l’Aventure de Lons-le-Saunier, France
‣ Regards d’Altitudes 2023 Mountain Film Festival Barcelonnette, France
‣ 18th Green Film Festival, Switzerland
‣ Quais du Départ Festival 2023, France
‣ 7th DocLands Documentary Film Festival, United States
‣ 9th International Nature and Environmental Protection Film Festival, Hungary
‣ The Smallest Mountain Film Festival 2023, France
‣ 33rd Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest, Spain
‣ 21st Matsalu Nature Film Festival, Estonia
‣ Festival des Aventuriers de Tonnay-Charente 2023, France
‣ 14th Génération Durable Festival, France
‣ 27th OFF CINEMA Documentary Film Festival, Poland
‣ René-Caillié Adventure Festival 2023, France
‣ Sudbury Outdoor Adventure Reels 2023, USA
‣ Les Imprévus de Vorey, Festival Voyageur 2023, France
‣ 22nd Bansko Mountain Film Fest, Bulgaria
‣ 37th Sondrio Festival, Italy
‣ Berlin Mountain Film Festival 2024, Germany
‣ 13th Wildlife Vaasa Festival 2024, Estonia

Awards :

‣ Best Photography at the 14th BBK Mendi Film Bilbao-Bizkaia, Spain
‣ Silver Award for Best Film at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2022, England
‣ Silver Award for Best Film on the Spirit of Adventure at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival 2022, England
‣ Aigle d’Or de l’Aventure at the 25th Festival International du Film Aventure et Découverte de Val d’Isère, France
‣ Best Environmental Film at the 20th NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, New Zealand
‣ Jury’s Favourite at the Chamonix Film Festival 2022, France
‣ Audience Award at the 7th Alpin Film Festival 2022, Romania
‣ Grand Prix at the 27th Ladek Mountain Film Festival, Poland
‣ Grand Prize at the 13th Eho Mountain Film Festival, Macedonia
‣ Honorable Mention at the 30th Poprad International Festival of Mountain Films, Slovakia
‣ Best Photography at the 18th Inkafest Mountain Film Festival, Peru
‣ Toison d’Or for Adventure Film at the 31st Les Ecrans de l’Aventure in Dijon, France
‣ Prize in the ‘Mountain Nature’ Category at the 19th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany
‣ Audience Award at the 19th Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival, Germany
‣ Discovery Award at the 21st Grand Bivouac, France
‣ Best Adventure & Exploration Film at the 46th Banff Mountain Film Festival, Canada
‣ DAV Climate Award at the 12th Dutch Mountain Film Festival, Netherlands
‣ Chamina Voyages Film Award at the 22nd Rendez-vous Carnet de Voyage in Clermont-Ferrand, France
‣ Best Film on Mountain Culture at the 40th BBVA Torelló Mountain Film Festival, Spain
‣ Third Prize in the International Category at the 20th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, Nepal
‣ Nominated in the Category ‘NaturVision Film Camera Award’ at the NaturVision Filmfestival 2022, Germany
‣ Audience Award at the 15th Bovec Outdoor Film Festival, Slovenia
‣ Jury Prize at 360 Degrés d’Aventure 2023, France
‣ Best Mountain Film in the Nature and Culture category at the 17th Gorniškega Filma Festival, Slovakia
‣ Grand Prize at the 26th Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Canada
‣ Best Cinematography at the 21st Matsalu Nature Film Festival, Estonia
‣ 3rd Award in the Nature Category at the 9th International Nature and Environmental Protection Film Festival, Hungary
‣ Honourable Mention at the 33rd Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest, Spain
‣ Best International Feature Film at the Sudbury Outdoor Adventure Reels 2023, USA
‣ Special Mention at the 37th Sondrio Festival, Italy

"In the far north of Canada, a white expanse where temperatures can reach -60°C. Around a few towns built during the gold rush, nature reveals a fauna and flora preserved by blizzards and storms that prevent humans from venturing there for several months of the year. In the midst of all this is photographer Jérémie Villet, a tripod attached to his rucksack, a small tent and a duvet. He set off in search of the mountain goat.
This animal from the last ice age is difficult to observe in winter. Its white wool blends in with the snow in the Canadian mountains. So he follows in the footsteps, on foot or in a 4x4, of the animal he so desires, in the hope of finally succeeding in getting a picture of it. Mathieu Le Lay follows the adventures of this 21st-century adventurer. Beyond the Arctic Circle, he shows that this extreme photographer is not afraid to sleep on mountainsides. And he becomes an extreme filmmaker himself, camera in hand, as Jérémie Villet climbs with the help of a stick. In this way, his documentary sets out on a quest for wild beauty, where the single photograph of an animal counts for so little. It tells us about man's desire to be in osmosis with nature and the animal, without disturbing it on its territory, its white dream."

BONNE PIOCHE TÉLÉVISION & ARTE FRANCE present
a BONNE PIOCHE TÉLÉVISION & ARTE FRANCE production with the participation of USHUAIA TV
with the support of the CNC, PROCIREP – SOCIÉTÉ DES PRODUCTEURS AND ANGOA
directed & edited by MATHIEU LE LAY written by MATHIEU LE LAY, AURÉLIE SAILLARD, JÉRÉMIE VILLET
produced by ALEXANDRE SOULLIER cinematography by MATHIEU LE LAY, JÉRÉMIE VILLET
original music by FRANCK ZARAGOZA sound editing & mixing by LAURENT MOLLARD
with JÉRÉMIE VILLET, PETER MATHER, KEITH WOLFE SMARCH narration by JÉRÉMIE VILLET
distribution LUCKY YOU