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A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence.
A 2-year-old golden snub-nosed monkey, who feels displaced by his new baby sister, joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts.
A mother snow leopard—an elusive animal rarely seen by human eyes—faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on Earth.
Following the stories of three animal families, Born in China transports audiences to some of the world’s most extreme environments to witness wildly intimate moments in the lives of animals whose day-to-day endeavors are both captivating and comical.
“The film explores the circle of life in a very emotional and uplifting way,” says producer Roy Conli. “Each story depicts a reality of life that is reflective of our own human experience. It’s compelling to see how animals share certain values that we hold dear.”
According to narrator John Krasinski, Born in China will also make audiences laugh.
“There’s tons of humor in the film,” he says. “Most of it comes from the animals themselves and the situations that they go through—like the baby panda trying to climb a tree and falling down and then falling down again, and then falling down again. There’s something that’s universal about those ideas of try and try again, and maybe not getting it right the first time. It’s adorable and it’s very funny. When you see the baby panda in this movie, I don’t know how you’re not going to think and dream about her for a long, long time to come.”
Featuring stunning, never-before-seen imagery, the film navigates China’s vast terrain—from the frigid mountains to the heart of the bamboo forest—on the wings of red-crowned cranes, seamlessly tying the extraordinary tales together.
Says producer Brian Leith, “This collection of animals is so distinctly China—a side of China that we just don’t see. To be able to bring these animals to the big screen in this way is a massive achievement—they live in some pretty remote areas that aren’t easily accessed. This production was a huge undertaking, and we’re delighted to share a bit of what we experienced in this broad and beautiful part of the world.”
Says director Lu Chuan, “Starting with spring, we cycle through the seasons to tell the story of snow leopards, golden snub-nosed monkeys, pandas, and the other animals as they nurture their young. It’s about one generation raising the next.
“It is a story of life and death,” continues the director. “In China, death is not the end of life. It’s another beginning. Wildlife has many beginnings, and we wanted to explore that in the movie. I want to help audiences around the world better understand this philosophy.”
Born in China opens in U.S. theaters on April 21, 2017.
