The Challenge

Imagine if Kubrick went off on a sabbatical somewhere in between the makings of Barry Lyndon and The Shining to the middle east to make a documentary about competitve falconry.

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 pure cinematic beauty.