Cheetahs and Cubs in a Land of Lions
(1993)
An atmospheric and perceptive portrayal of the Earth’s fastest land mammal, world-renowned wildlife cameraman Hugo van Lawick focuses on two cheetah cubs, exploring their challenging journey towards an independent adulthood.
With the beautiful backdrop of the Serengeti plains, the young cats play, practice hunting, escape lions and repeatedly sabotage their mother’s hunting attempts. Typical of his distinctive filming style, van Lawick presents the cheetahs as individual characters, bringing their unique personalities to the forefront as he examines the struggles they face to survive.
Abandoned once they reach eighteen months old, stunning cinematography provides an intriguing glimpse into the behaviour and social psychology of these rangy sprinters. Facing starvation, and somewhat overconfident in their own ability, memorable footage details their dramatic showdown with a pride of lions.
Cheetahs and Cubs in a Land of Lions is a vivid coming of age tale; a fascinating insight into life in one of Africa’s last great wildernesses.
