The ChallengeThe Challenge

Italian visual artist Yuri Ancarani's exquisite documentary enters the surreal world of wealthy Qatari sheikhs with a passion for amateur falconry. The opulence of this Middle Eastern gas state is on full display as the men race SUVs up and down sand dunes, fly their prized falcons around on private jets, and take their pet cheetahs out for desert spins in their souped-up Ferraris. The result is a film jaw-dropping not only for its displays of wealth, but for the pure cinematic beauty that won Ancarani the Filmmaker of the Present award at the 2016 **Locarno Film Festival**. Official Selection at the **SXSW Film Festival**. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the **San Francisco International Film Festival**. *"Composed over three years, THE CHALLENGE is elegantly distilled, each image deliberately framed, the rhythm alternating between meditative tranquility and flurried agitation." - Liam Lacey, **POV Magazine***