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PRIMITIVE • CHAPTER 1 • THE BLACK SCENT

PRIMITIF • CHAPITRE 1 • LE PARFUM NOIR DE L'ESTIVE

Drama - Pre-Production 2024

In the heart of the Alps, Chris and Ethan's transhumance is disrupted by mysterious attacks. Tension rises among the herders. Emma, an undercover zoologist, seeks the truth in this untamed wilderness. Between revelations and secrets, the relationship between humans and animals is put to the test.

- Year of production
- 2024
- Genres
- Drama, Environmental, Action/Adventure
- Countries
- FRANCE
- Languages
- FRENCH, ENGLISH
- Budget
- 1 - 3 M$
- Duration
- 100 mn
- Synopsis
- It’s nighttime. Eric, a 45-year-old sheep farmer, and Ethan, a 30-year-old seasonal worker and former ward of the shepherd, are preparing for the upcoming transhumance. While transporting equipment to the 4x4, Eric notices his flock behaving suspiciously. He vanishes into the night, leaving Ethan worried. Ethan eventually finds Eric, but everything seems normal. Seconds later, the animals startle: the flock is under attack by a predator. Armed, Eric and Ethan rush into the pen. Ethan radios the authorities about the attack. They find a slaughtered sheep, and the predator escapes with its prey into the forest. Alan, an officer of Wildlife and Hunting, arrives with his team to secure the area.
  
  Emma Bannocke, a 27-year-old zoologist teaching at Aix-Marseille University, demonstrates the consequences of the "Yellowstone Effect" to her students and fellow scientists. Alan, present during the demonstration, invites her to take on an important case following more livestock attacks. Reluctantly, Emma agrees. Before leaving for Tierra del Fuego in Chile, her best friend Anna throws a reception. The angry and confused farmers meet with the Prefect, who promises protective measures. Emma goes undercover, becomes a seasonal worker, and joins Eric’s hamlet to investigate.
  
  The transhumance starts smoothly, but on the second day, strange growls alert the group. It’s a false alarm, just a fox hunting a rodent. At the alpine pasture, Emma begins her investigation, collecting samples. Ethan warns her of the danger. During a search for a lost lamb, Emma finds intriguing paw prints and encounters Yann, who behaves maliciously. Later, Emma discovers an abandoned chalet with the lamb inside. A wild animal tries to break in but flees as the others arrive. Mickaël, an undercover agent, supports Emma in her investigation.
  
  Nights are tough for Ethan, who suffers from night terrors and PTSD. As days pass, Emma learns the shepherd's trade and continues her investigation. During a milk delivery, Jade asks Emma about her feelings for Ethan. One evening, another attack occurs, and Ben is injured. Ethan suspects it’s a wolf but can’t prove it. Ben is hospitalized, and the farmers protest at the prefecture.
  
  Ethan accuses Emma of colluding with the ONCFS, which she denies. A heated argument ensues, and a wolf attacks the flock again. The farmers drive it off. Ethan, along with a team, goes on an outlaw wolf hunt. In the mist, Ethan confronts the Alpha wolf and wounds it. Yann kills and mutilates the animal. Facing the Omega and her cubs, Ethan spares her, but Yann shoots and mortally wounds the she-wolf. Chris intervenes and subdues Yann.
  
  Wounded, Ethan gazes at the sunset with Emma by his side. He now understands her fight for wildlife. The scene ends on this poignant image.