"Born in China," a nature documentary jointly produced by China and the U.S., has become a massive box office success in America, earning eighth place among nature documentaries as determined by gross ticket sales.
The documentary, co-produced by Disneynature and Shanghai Media Group, focuses on the lives of species unique to China – pandas, snow leopards and golden monkeys - as well as the Chinese spiritual beliefs surrounding life and death. As of press time, the film had grossed $11 million and was closing in on the Sony blockbuster "Winged Migration."
"The 75-minute documentary features personal and intimate relationships between animals, endowing the creatures with human-like affection. The happy ending for the golden monkey family, the tragedy of the leopard mother and the peaceful dance of the cranes present a real yet emotional story of nature to viewers," Liu Xiaoyun, a Beijing-based movie critic, told the People's Daily Online.
Since its debut on April 20, the documentary has been widely praised by critics and viewers in the U.S. On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 84 percent, with an average rating of 6.9 out of 10. Reviewers called the film "intriguing, deep and beautiful."
"The film has offered a good example for Sino-American cooperation in cultural exchange, and it is expected to introduce Chinese beliefs about life and spirit to U.S. audiences," said Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S.
