BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A herd of Asian elephants that traveled hundreds of kilometers across southwest China's Yunnan Province before making its way back south is among the real-life stories featured in a new documentary that premiered in Beijing on Wednesday.
Titled "The Elephant Odyssey," the film follows China's efforts to protect Asian elephants, from monitoring their movements to rescuing elephants in need and returning them to the wild.
Directed by Alice Gu and co-produced by China, Canada and Singapore, it took three years to make, with the crew repeatedly venturing into the tropical rainforests of Yunnan to document conservation efforts firsthand.
The film captures the remarkable journey of the herd that left a nature reserve in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in March 2020 and traveled about 500 kilometers north to Kunming, Yunnan's provincial capital, arriving in June 2021. The elephants later headed south and eventually returned safely to the reserve.
The film was an effort to bring the remarkable journey of the wandering Asian elephants to global cinema screens.
It also follows A Bao, an elephant rescued in 2018 after becoming separated from his herd at the age of 12. Following years of training and preparation, A Bao was released into the wild in May 2024, marking China's first successful reintroduction of a rescued Asian elephant into the wild.
At the premiere, a representative of China International Publishing Center said the film uses real footage to showcase China's ecological conservation efforts and achievements.
The co-production also seeks to foster cultural exchanges and explore ways to connect with international audiences through shared emotions and an immersive cinematic experience, said the representative.
"The Elephant Odyssey" will open in cinemas nationwide on Friday.
The film will feature additional footage exclusively in IMAX theaters, offering audiences a more immersive view of the natural world and the elephants' remarkable journey. ■
