A journey into a rarely seen, often misunderstood world of extraordinary beauty, lush biodiversity and
deep emotion, Wildcat follows the journey of an unlikely family unit: a traumatized veteran of the war in
Afghanistan, a scientist looking for sanctuary from her chaotic childhood, and an orphaned ocelot kitten
with little chance of surviving without their help. Filmed primarily in Peru’s Amazonian rainforest,
Wildcat explores the redemptive power of the wilderness through the eyes of these three singular
beings.
When British Army veteran Harry Turner returned from active duty, the horrific events he witnessed left
him struggling with PTSD and chronic depression. Obsessed by thoughts of self-harm and even suicide,
Harry looked to disappear in the wilderness, where a chance meeting with conservationist Samantha
Zwicker offered him a second chance. Samantha and Harry rescue a one-month-old ocelot from the
black market together and decide to reintroduce the cat into the wild. Falling in love with both the
kitten and Samantha, Harry agrees to become the adoptive “mother” of the ocelot and spends 18
months in a remote compound deep in the jungle, devoting himself entirely to the cat. From bottle
feeding to the cat’s first successful rodent hunt, Harry celebrates their milestones. But Harry must
wrestle with his own demons if he and the cat are going to survive.
Directed by Melissa Lesh and Trevor Beck Frost (who also collaborated on the National Geographic film
Person of the Forest), Wildcat is produced by Frost, Lesh, Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes,
Unrest) and Joshua Altman (All These Sons, Minding the Gap).
Wildcat opens at CCA Dec 23. In the meantime, check out what’s now playing and what’s upcoming to your local, independent, nonprofit cinema.
