DTR Doc on Russia’s Amur Leopard to Air in India

LONDON/MOSCOW: Digital Television Russia (DTR) has lined up the first international premiere for its natural-history documentary The Far Eastern Leopard: Struggle for the Taiga Throne on Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan in India.

The Far Eastern Leopard: Struggle for the Taiga Throne chronicles the life of the Amur leopard, which is considered to be the most rare and endangered big cat in the world. The feature-length film, produced by DTR's Living Planet Channel, debuted on Russia 1 in late 2014. It is slated for broadcast in India on November 21. This deal is the first to come out of an overall agreement signed earlier this year between DTR and Doordarshan to produce, market and distribute high-quality content in both Russia and India.

Dmitry Mednikov, the deputy CEO of Russia Television and Radio (VGTRK), and chairman of the board at DTR, said: "We couldn't have chosen a more fitting documentary to showcase our content to Indian audiences than this standout wildlife feature. We have pledged to bring the highest quality programming to international audiences and, with Far Eastern Leopard, we are clearly delivering on that promise. In addition to Russian, the film is now available in English, Hindi, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese, so this incredibly beautiful and important piece of work is now accessible to many audiences around the world."

Gangalo Yelena Viktorovna, the general director of Far Eastern Leopards, added: "Land of the Leopards is a protected area where the Far Eastern leopards can live in their natural environment. Halting the decline of one of the world's rarest cat populations is not just important to our country, but to the entire planet. The film has been translated into six languages and that's a big step forward. Now, the whole world can learn about these amazing cats and the efforts that are being taken to help them survive."