What happens when an apex predator, long absent, returns to the fringes of human life? For the ecosystem, the return of wolves marks the revival of the wild. Yet for the communities who have lived on this land for generations, it brings the threat to their livelihoods and an unsettling fear of the unknown. When grand visions of conservation clash with the harsh realities of daily human survival, how can we truly coexist with wild creatures in a shared, finite environment?
As a part of the Planetary Embassy China program, a special screening of the documentary Lupi Nostri (Our Wolves – In a Landscape of Fear and Love) explores these questions. Join us as we look through the lens to confront this ecological dilemma spanning nature, science, and human nature.
About the film
In an Italy deeply polarized between wolf defenders and opponents, Professor Luca Rossi – a renowned wildlife conservation expert at the University of Turin – finds himself torn in his final two years before retirement: how to help local shepherds protect thousands of vulnerable sheep while simultaneously striving to save the very predator preying on them.
Lupi Nostri (2025) is not a conventional wildlife educational documentary, but rather a vivid, authentic portrait of the struggle between humanity and nature. Following in Luca Rossi’s footsteps, we venture deep into the interface between the Alpine wilderness and human settlements: Here, the friction between survival and coexistence plays out daily – from transhumant shepherds battling anxiety and helplessness over wolf attacks, to hunter guides navigating mountain trails; from young researchers using camera traps and genetics to monitor ecological balance and species integrity, to rangers and anti-poison dog units tracing the tragic truth behind poisoned wolves.
The film refrains from moral high grounds, never assigning simple labels of “victim” or “villain.” Through visually arresting and emotionally charged cinematography, it captures the growing pains of trophic restoration and invites us to contemplate a vital question for our shared future: As the boundaries between wildlife and human habitations increasingly blur, can we find a path toward sustainable coexistence in a landscape of fear and love?
Screening Details
- Film Title: Lupi Nostri (Our Wolves)
- Country of Origin: Italy / Spain / Switzerland (2025)
- Runtime: 82 minutes
- Language: Italian original audio (with Chinese & English subtitles)
About the director
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Bio
Samer Angelone
This film is directed by Samer Angelone, an interdisciplinary filmmaker and scholar with Swiss, Italian, and Syrian roots. Holding dual PhDs in Biology and Film Studies, Angelone is the founder of the Swiss Science Film Academy. He regularly teaches filmmaking and storytelling across top Swiss universities—including ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, and University of Basel – as well as prestigious festivals like the Locarno Film Festival and Visions du Réel.
In 2008, Angelone first joined Professor Luca Rossi on a wilderness research expedition during his PhD studies and was moved by the scientist’s storytelling. Over a decade later, he returned to Italy to single-handedly take on producing, directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and editing. Years in the making, this debut feature bridges scientific rigor with profound human empathy.
