Documentary brings Yunnan’s Asian elephant stories to global screens

An IMAX documentary dedicated to the remarkable true stories of Yunnan’s wild Asian elephants, The Elephant Odyssey, will meet Chinese moviegoers on Friday.

It is the first film to document the famous northward migration of a herd of wild Asian elephants in 2021 in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, and highlight local rewilding efforts and the release of a rescued elephant named A Bao to a global audience.

The film is a collaborative production involving teams from China, Singapore and the United States. It is directed by the Chinese-American documentary filmmaker Alice Gu Yujin, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Clair Popkin serving as the director of photography.

The premiere held on October 21 in Beijing was attended by around 300 guests, including government officials, representatives of government departments, members of the media and academics.

Speaking at the premiere, a film industry insider said The Elephant Odyssey creates a platform for exchange and mutual learning between China and other countries through international co-production. The film showcases China’s ecological achievements through authentic imagery and explores a path for global dialogue, telling China’s story through emotional resonance.

Details disclosed at the Beijing premiere include the fact that the production team spent years working on the film, making multiple trips deep into the tropical rainforests of Yunnan. Filmed using custom IMAX equipment, the film objectively documents the Chinese government's extensive efforts to protect Asian elephants, showcasing Chinese expertize and solutions for promoting biodiversity conservation and building a shared future for all life on Earth.