A full-length documentary about the Furs for Life project is set to premiere at the Durban International Film Festival on 18 June 2016.
Supported by Cartier, Peace Parks Foundation and Panthera are working through Panthera’s Furs for Life project to conserve the world’s most persecuted big cat – the leopard. The leopard, an emblematic species of Africa, is revered around the world for its gorgeous spotted coat – a coat that is very much entrenched in the traditional regalia of various African cultural groups. One such group is the Nazareth Baptist ‘Shembe’ Church, whose members wear the furs during religious celebrations and ceremonies.
The documentary – entitled To Skin a Cat – follows Tristan Dickerson (Panthera’s Furs for Life Leopard Programme Manager) as he travels from the heart of leopard country to the heart of Shembe culture in an effort to discover a solution to the declining leopard population due to widespread skin trade – a conservation and cultural solution that benefits all parties involved.
To Skin a Cat, produced by independent film makers Colwyn Thomas and Greg Lomas, will be screened at the following venues in Durban:
- 18 June: Elisabeth Sneddon: 20H00
- 23 June: Maharani: 14H00
- 25 June: Musgrave Centre: 14H00
Tickets available at Computicket
More about Furs for Life
More about the documentary
Durban International Film Festival
