THE SMITH SOCIETY is a podcast where stories and storytelling unite. Through intimate interviews and insightful discussions, we bring you the voices behind the stories you love. We feature world-renowned actors, writers, directors and more -- discussing a variety of topics related to the film and television industry. We uncover the secrets of their craft and celebrate the diverse tales that shape our world.
This is unlike any other interview we’ve ever featured on The Smith Society. Today we’re going to sit down with Harry Turner, who is the subject of the documentary film Wildcat. We’re not going to be talking about acting, world building or writing; we’re going to talk about the complexities of life, and what he hopes his film conveys to audiences.
Wildcat is a journey into a rarely seen, often misunderstood world of extraordinary beauty, lush biodiversity and deep emotion. The film follows an unlikely family unit: a traumatized veteran of the war in Afghanistan, a scientist looking for sanctuary from her chaotic childhood, and an orphaned ocelot kitten with little chance of surviving without their help. Filmed primarily in Peru’s Amazonian rainforest, Wildcat explores the redemptive power of the wilderness through the eyes of these three singular beings.
(TW: Suicide) When British Army veteran Turner returned from active duty, the horrific events he witnessed left him struggling with PTSD and chronic depression. Obsessed by thoughts of self-harm and even suicide, Harry looked to disappear in the wilderness, where an unexpected encounter with conservationist Samantha Zwicker offered him a second chance. Samantha and Harry rescue a one-month-old ocelot from the black market together, and decide to reintroduce the cat into the wild. Falling in love with both the kitten and Samantha, Harry agrees to become the adoptive “mother” of the ocelot, spending 18 months in a remote compound deep in the jungle, devoting himself entirely to the cat. From bottle feeding to the cat’s first successful rodent hunt, Harry celebrates their milestones. But Harry must wrestle with his own demons if he and the cat are going to survive.
Directed by Melissa Lesh and Trevor Beck Frost (who also collaborated on the National Geographic film Person of the Forest), Wildcat is produced by Frost, Lesh, Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes, Unrest) and Joshua Altman (All These Sons, Minding the Gap).
WILDCAT is out NOW on Amazon Prime Video! Check it out and please share your thoughts with us on IG! www.instagram.com/thesmithsocietypod
WILDCAT
Featuring: Harry Turner, Samantha Zwicker
Directors: Melissa Lesh, Trevor Beck Frost
Producers: Alysa Nahmias, Joshua Altman
Emerald Arch:
Emerald Arch is a US based Nonprofit focusing on global conservation efforts with a speciality in human-wildlife conflict, education for future generations & the protection of land in the Amazon.
www.emeraldarch.org
The Smith Society Podcast: This is the Smith Society, a podcast about storytellers and storytelling.
Host: Duane Fernandez
instagram.com/duane.h.fernandez/
The Smith Society theme song by: Steady Cadence
Steady Cadence is a brilliant father daughter duo out of North Carolina. There is an episode later this season about the theme song, their unique sound which blends together analog and digital, their inspiration, creative approach and how Cadence, who is currently in middle school, has so much soul.
The Smith Society logo: Designer, Chris Scott
Edited by: Marshall Baker
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