The Shepherd And The Bear

Name: The Shepherd And The Bear
Duration: 1 h 41 min

1hr 41m

3.6/5 (142)

1hr 41m
3.6/5 (142)

An aging shepherd struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock. While, a teenage boy becomes obsessed with tracking the bears. More Details »

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Movie Info & Cast

Release Date:

Nov 21, 2025

Runtime:

1hr 41m

Synopsis

An aging shepherd struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock. While, a teenage boy becomes obsessed with tracking the bears.

Moviegoers are saying

This visually stunning documentary about the Pyrenees captures audiences with breathtaking cinematography that puts blockbusters to shame, though viewers remain divided on whether to side with endangered bears or traditional shepherds. Festival-goers are raving about director Max Keegan as a major new voice in documentary filmmaking, even as some struggle with the film's 101-minute runtime and narrative focus.

Top Mentions

Visually-Stunning

Morally-Complex

Festival-Favorite

Nature-Documentary

Slow-Burn

Cinematography-Masterclass

Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6

RATINGS 3 FANS

3.6

Mar 24, 2026

Thoughts going into this: sheep are class, bears are class, hills are class Thoughts coming out of this: the world leave us behind at a speed we will never understand 😢

9 Likes

Alex

Apr 12, 2026

Up there for one of the most visually beautiful docs I’ve ever seen. Brilliantly shot, Max Keegan is a new voice I will definitely be seeking out in the future. Had a lovely theatrical experience as well. My parents and I were in Vegas just for the weekend and were able to…

3 Likes

Alex Teichman

Nov 3, 2024

VAFF film 8 of 8 This was gorgeous and moving - the rugged, beautiful Pyrenees and their people, pulled between protecting their pastoral lifestyle and the government's desire to reintroduce wild bears. Plus, adorable shepherd doggos. Trigger warning: lots of dead…

10 Likes

daveyounce
Nov 3, 2024

VAFF: 8/8 One of our most anticipated films of the festival, mostly because we can slide in before this hits 20 members. Made me consider ecological issues I hadn't before, and I'm still unsure weather I'm "non ours" or not. Overall a great end to our second festival!

9 Likes

hyounce

Nov 3, 2024

While the footage captured of the Pyrenees is breathtaking, I wasn't into most of the rest of it. The film presents the conflict between two endangered parts of the ecology in the mountains: the brown bears indigenous to the area which are being reintroduced after…

7 Likes

Brian Leary

Nov 3, 2024

VAFF #9 - Violet Crown Some of the best cinematography that I’ve seen. I really enjoyed the approach as well. The film presents the realities and the audience is left knowing that multiple conflicting ideals can be simultaneously true. Would pair perfectly with Charlotte…

5 Likes

Joe Loyacano
Feb 10, 2026

I really liked that and not just because I asked the director a question after it and he said “yeah really good question”.

5 Likes

Jude

Apr 4, 2026

Why does every documentary made for about 50p and a packet of crisps have better cinematography than a £150m blockbuster? A gorgeous film about a difficult way of life in conflict with both modern environmental concerns and the inevitable passage of time. Plenty of…

2 Likes

Sarah Parkin

Apr 4, 2026

very lovely to watch

2 Likes

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