IMAX Documentary on Yunnan's Wild Elephants Opens in Chinese Cinemas

A documentary about Asian elephants in Yunnan began screening in cinemas across China on Friday, according to 中安在线. Titled "Elephant Journey," the film is described by the outlet as the first IMAX original documentary devoted to the species.

The movie is built around two real events, 中安在线 reports. One is the journey of a wild herd of Asian elephants that wandered north from Yunnan and later returned home between March 2020 and August 2021. The other follows "A Bao," a rescued elephant, through the process of being rehabilitated and released back into the wild. The film weaves these two strands together, retracing the herd's route and documenting the measures Chinese authorities took to protect the animals.

According to 中安在线, the filmmakers frame this narrow subject as a way of illustrating the broader principles behind China's ecological conservation efforts.

Cao Zengkai, vice president of marketing at IMAX China, said the format gives audiences a wider view than a standard screen. In IMAX auditoriums, he said, more than a third of the image extends beyond what viewers would normally see, and some IMAX GT venues can project in a 1.43:1 ratio that fills the entire screen, an effect he described as immersive and striking.

The film's nationwide premiere was held in Beijing, 人民日报 reported.

Viewers interested in the release can check local cinema listings for IMAX screenings, where the expanded picture format described by Cao is available.