Photographs from the film Born in China which has been recently released in China

 

Three years in the making, Born in China, a new Disney nature film directed by famous Chinese director Lu Chuan, debuted on Aug. 12. It is scheduled to be released in North America on April 22, Earth Day, next year.

Shot in 2014, the film focuses on China’s rare animals, such as pandas, golden monkeys and snow leopards. There are few feature-length wildlife films in China at present, and this fills that void.
 

Speaking at the film premiere, Cui Yuying, vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee’s publicity department, said the release of the film is timely, occurring in the run-up to the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. She said that the film would help people around the world gain greater insight into Chinese culture.

 

Stories of love, being loved
Before directing Born in China, Lu directed the wildlife film Mountain Patrol, a film about the Tibetan antelope. It was released in 2004 to much fanfare within the film community, and 12 years later, Lu decided to return to wildlife films.
 

“Wildlife film is a type of film that is between the boundary of documentary and feature film. They are often reflective of the stories of humans themselves through the lens of animals and nature.”
 

Born in China portrays the lives of three families of rare animals. It depicts the daily trifles of a panda family that lives in the bamboo forest of Sichuan Province. It shows the hardships and ordeals a family of snow leopards faces in their struggle to survive the harsh climes of the Tibetan Plateau.
 

Last is the story of a golden monkey in the Shennongjia nature reserve, who plays the “prodigal son.” It leaves home because it was neglected after the birth of a second offspring, but it comes home in the end.

“From the source materials that I felt were full of humanity, I selected the three stories and threaded them together,” Lu said. “These are stories of love and being loved. In the real animal world, there are reunions and departures, tears and laughter, which could strike a chord with humans because humans find the traces of their own lives in these animals.”

 

Chinese philosophy reflected
Apparently, the Chinese element that runs through the film Born in China is an important factor that has contributed to the film’s success in the market. The film demonstrates the values of coexistence  between humans and nature that lie at center of Chinese civilization. It also inspires people to act as good custodians of the planet.

“In the Chinese mind, death is not the end of life but a new beginning,” Lu said. “Everything, including nature, has circles of life—this is the unique Chinese concept of living. Therefore, I attempted to explore this theme by making the film Born in China, hoping it enables audiences around the world to grasp the distinctive Chinese philosophy.”
 

“It is also my desire that audiences could focus their attention on the wildlife. Although we have captured some valuable shots and camera angles in the film, the living condition of these animals are deteriorating in reality. The environmental space that allows for their healthy survival is narrowing. Humans need to show more respect for their natural friends,” he said, calling for vigorous protection of wildlife.