Born in China

Acclaimed Chinese director Lu Chuan (City of Life and Death, Kekexili) and an international team of nature filmmakers journey deep into China for an unprecedented vision of its untouched wilderness and the amazing animals that make it their home. From pandas rollicking in a lush bamboo forest to snow leopards struggling to survive on a rugged mountain range to golden snub-nosed monkeys finding their place in monkey society – with red-crowned cranes, chiru and more in between―Born in China captures moments intimate and epic in the lives of these reclusive creatures, photographed with astonishing beauty and grandeur. The film’s teeming diversity of life and landscape evokes the natural foundations of traditional Chinese mythology while John Krasinski’s narration brings out the playful side of China’s animal kingdoms.

DCP, color, 76 min.  Directed by Lu Chuan.  Producers: Roy Conli, Brian Leith, Phil Chapman.  Cinematographers: Justin Maguire, Shane Moore, Rolf Steinmann, Paul Stewart, Irmin Kerck.  Editor: Matthew Meech.  Cast: John Krasinski (narrator).

Presented in cooperation with Disneynature.

Special thanks:  Paul Baribault, Liz West, Gabriela Piro—Disneynature; Charles Loi—Chuan Films; Susan Pertel Jain—UCLA Confucius Institute; Cheng-Sim Lim—China Onscreen; Bérénice Reynaud—Film at REDCAT.

Watch the conversation with Lu Chuan, Roy Conli and Film Programmer Paul Malcolm. Interpretation by Michael Zhu: