When Leonardo DiCaprio shared a camera trap photo of a huemul deer from Chilean Patagonia on Instagram, the image went viral overnight. For most, it was just another fleeting post in the social media scroll. But for filmmaker and geographer Diego Ramos Merino, it was the spark to uncover the real story behind the photo.
DiCaprio’s Huemul follows forest technician Luigi Solis in his day-to-day work protecting one of the most endangered and elusive species in South America. Known as one of Patagonia’s “Big Five,” the huemul is both a national symbol of Chile and a species on the brink, threatened by habitat loss, disease, and human activity.
Set against the vast, untamed landscapes of southern Chile, the film moves beyond the viral moment to explore the deeper questions: How much does visibility help conservation? Who gets to tell the story of an endangered species? And what happens when the media spotlight fades?
Blending tenderness with irony, and the epic with the everyday, DiCaprio’s Huemul is not just a portrait of a species—it’s a reflection on commitment, storytelling, and the quiet persistence required to protect life in the wild.
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