Winning Best Documentary at this year’s César Award in France, The Velvet Queen is a powerful film that’s riveting as it is soothing. It documents photographer Vincent Munier as he guides writer Sylvain Tesson in the quest to photograph the elusive snow leopard while journeying the Tibetan wilderness. Traversing unexplored and inaccessible valleys, reaching the Tibetan plateau where rare and undiscovered fauna lives, the two men contemplate on the magnificence of the wild world and humanity’s place in all its natural grandeur.
What’s in this Guide?
The Velvet Queen documentary preview
High up in the Tibetan peaks, amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys, lies one of the last sanctuaries of the wilds. Vincent Munier, the winner of the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year award three years in a row, teams up with adventurer and novelist Sylvain Tesson in exploring these Tibetan highlands to photograph the captivating snow leopard.
Their journey together is also the basis of Tesson’s book, The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet, published in 2019. For several weeks, they explored these valleys searching for unique wildlife creatures and also attempting to have a glimpse of the snow leopard, one of the rarest and hardest big cats to spot.
Accompanied by breathtaking images of landscapes and the astonishing creatures inhabiting Tibet, The Velvet Queen evokes deep-rooted sentiments about the natural world – its beauty and ferocity – as displayed by the natural world still thriving in the Tibetan peaks. Going beyond usual nature documentary territory, the film also features a poignant score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, adding to its daunting yet awe-inspiring impact.
The Velvet Queen movie trailer
Planning to watch the documentary? You can watch the official trailer below while you wait for the film to premiere on streaming TV.
The Velvet Queen release date
After its theatrical run in Australia last November 2022, The Velvet Queen finally arrived on streaming screens on 26th January 2023 via DocPlay. This marks the first time that the award-winning docufilm becomes available as part of your streaming subscription.
| Documentary | Running Time | Streaming Service |
|---|---|---|
| The Velvet Queen | 1 hr 32 mins | DocPlay |
What other streaming services is The Velvet Queen on?
To watch The Velvet Queen, Australia has DocPlay for an exclusive streaming. If you’re a new customer, you can watch it using their 14-day free trial. As of this writing, only DocPlay is confirmed to stream the documentary on their platform.
| Streaming Services | The Velvet Queen movie |
|---|---|
| DocPlay | Yes |
| Foxtel | No |
| Foxtel Now | No |
| BINGE | No |
| Amazon Prime Video | No |
| Disney Plus | No |
| Paramount+ | No |
| Netflix | No |
| Stan | No |
| Apple TV+ | No |
| Free to air | No |
How to watch The Velvet Queen documentary in Australia?
DocPlay houses over a thousand documentaries that you can watch on demand. A new addition to its ever-expanding catalogue of content is the acclaimed The Velvet Queen movie. It follows Vincent Munier, one of the renowned wildlife photographers in the world, and travel writer Sylvain Tesson as they explore the Tibetan wild world where rare and undiscovered fauna exists.
Their mission in addition to witnessing unique animals flourishing in their natural sanctuary? To spot the rare snow leopard. Unfortunately, the docufilm isn’t available on free-to-air.
Stream The Velvet on DocPlay
The Velvet Queen is not your typical nature documentary. If you’re a new customer, you can take advantage of DocPlay’s 14-day free trial to see it for yourself. It also gives you access to its entire library of content for free.
After your free trial is up, a DocPlay plan is only $7.99 per month or $79.99 for a yearly subscription. If you’re a big documentary fan, DocPlay provides thousands of the world’s best documentaries all in one place. You can also read this DocPlay review to know more about the service.
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The Velvet Queen documentary cast
Vincent Munier, one of the world’s renowned wildlife photographers, takes writer Sylvain Tesson to explore the Tibetan wilderness and capture fascinating images of wildlife. It is directed and shot by Marie Amiguet and Munier himself, with extra cinematography by Léo-Pol Jacquot. Tesson also serves as the the film’s narrator.
Other documentaries on DocPlay
DocPlay is home to some of the best documentaries for all tastes and ages from around the world. From crime and docudrama to travel and lifestyle, you’re never short of something to watch, all created by brilliant filmmakers from across the globe.
New docuseries and movies are added each and every week so the choice is never an issue. These include favourites like Fortune Fights, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, and 2040. We have made a few more suggestions when it comes to the best documentaries on DocPlay below.
Looking for something else? Start searching here.
Streaming devices for watching on DocPlay
Here is a list of compatible devices that you can use to stream documentaries, TV shows, and more on DocPlay.
Devices supported on DocPlay
- Apple TV: Yes – Download app via the App Store.
- Apple AirPlay: Yes – Use AirPlay to connect to your Apple TV from the DocPlay iOS app or website.
- Fetch TV: Yes – Available on all models.
- Xbox One: Yes
- Smart TV: Yes – Available on Samsung.
- iOS devices: Yes – Download the app from App Store.
- Android devices: Yes – Download the app from Google Play Store.
- Android TV: Yes – Available on all Sony Android TVs and other Android TV devices.
- Google Chromecast: Yes – Cast shows directly to your TV using Chromecast from the DocPlay iOS & Android apps or website.
- Foxtel IQ: Yes – Find DocPlay app on the internet-connected iQ.
