A take on the human perspective of animals, the picture follows art students
who watchfully observe an animal model, a meticulous work of a taxidermist
but especially animals themselves in a Québec safari park. It offers pure
observation as it even avoids any language at all. The shots are long and the
composition is usually untraditional; they are like tableaux without context,
forcing the viewer to think about what remains unseen.
A film essay in the best sense of the word, Bestiaire is subjective yet open to
countless interpretations. It may criticise people’s habit to keep animals in
unnatural habitats just as it may celebrate their fascination with animals. It
is very much about the viewers taking their own point of view.