But then I realized that this was just how the movie was supposed to sound, soothing and playful, for the benefit of the children meant to be watching it. A pleasant surprise, though. The Elephant Queen, which tells the true story of a Kenyan elephant herd as they travel in search of a new home, will stream on the platform when it debuts November 1. Gaia's herd and other herds of elephants have no luck trying to find food, but a male elephant (who is visiting his family) uses his trunk to drop a bunch of seedpods from trees. These scenes include possible drowning, predators like lions and hyenas, a baby elephant with his head stuck in the mud, and more. - YouTube They don’t call it the animal kingdom for nothing. "World's loneliest elephant" gets new home 00:48 Islamabad — Pop music icon Cher was in Pakistan over the weekend to join a lonely elephant on his long-awaited journey to salvation. It’s a solid nature movie, not quite factual enough to be a true work of scientific observation, but engaging and persuasively conservationist in its subtle way. Luckily no one was hurt when they crossed the river. The ViacomCBS cable network has begun production on … So when Markle’s sing-song delivery began, I thought at first she was doing a terrible job. Directed by Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone, Chiwetel Ejiofor narrates new documentary The Elephant Queen.. Set in the African Savannah, at the centre of this story of love, loss, family and coming home is elephant mother Athena. Having never seen a Disneynature documentary before, I was initially thrown by the cutesy tone of Elephant. Canada's Premier Investigative Documentary Program Fridays at 9 PM on CBC Television Who among us right now, as disease stalks the streets outside, doesn’t need the respite provided by hearing Meghan Markle, apostate of the House of Windsor, say, “Oh, dear,” after an elephant farts? In addition to being a legendary hitmaker who broke the mold of the swinging sixties with her unique … BBC One - The Secret Life of Elephants Documentary series revealing the emotional and dramatic lives of elephants in Kenya's Samburu reserve. ", Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elephant_(2020_film)&oldid=992731815, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 December 2020, at 20:31. The iconic Cher’s name has become synonymous with so much more than music over the decades. It transports viewers to Africa, where we meet a herd of elephants on their monthslong journey to find water. But the real showcase here is Ms. Markle, of course. People who poach elephants are monsters, and the people who help preserve their natural habitats are saviors. New Releases. The website's consensus reads, "Disneynature: Elephant adds to the studio's tradition of kid-focused, beautifully photographed nature documentaries that are just engaging enough for parents. Meghan Markle makes a triumphant, royal return to the world of entertainment in the new Disney nature documentary, “Elephant.” The film, which premieres Friday on Disney Plus, is perfect for the whole family. Disney Plus/Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images ‘Elephant’ was released on Disney Plus on Friday. There’s lots of talk of succession in the documentary, a funny bit of meta irony considering Markle’s place in a very scrutinized human dynastic drama. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. There is no water for them to drink, but Gaia leads her herd to Baobab trees which they could drink water from its sap. Jomo is unimpressed, but soon lets go of being the baby of the family and warms up to his new playmate. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Shani finds her leadership to the other elephants difficult. The film was released alongside Dolphin Reef as a Disney+ exclusive on April 3, 2020.[3]. Markle is an engaging narrator, a warming voice of omniscience who gives lively shape to a story that’s . I watched the new Disneynature documentary Elephant—which is, as the title suggests, about an elephant—because of its narrator. Elephant is an American nature documentary film about elephants directed by Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz and narrated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. (Another gem: “Oh nuts, a crocodile!”) I aver that none alive on this planet, save maybe a few old stuffs rotting away in a drafty English palace or two, do not want to be blessed with that aural treasure. From the awards race to the box office, with everything in between: get the entertainment industry's must-read newsletter. (Her older sister, Gaia, is the matriarch.) Cher is teaming with the Smithsonian Channel for a documentary about relocating the "world's loneliest elephant" to a new home. Many a young elephant advocate will be christened by this film. The Elephant Queen (2020), Apple TV+. But Markle had mostly forsaken her old life to marry into the British royal family before she and Harry suddenly yanked themselves out of it, so her involvement in this film was a bit of a surprise. She and The Herd start making their way back to Okavango. The Herd is led by their great matriarch Gaia and her younger sister Shani, who has helped keep their family safe. They are soon joined by other elephants who visit, play, and drink from the water. [7], 2020 American nature documentary film about elephants, "Disney+ Honors Earth Month with New Disneynature Films Debuting on April 3", "Meghan Markle Narrating Disney Plus Nature Documentary 'Elephants, "Disney+ Premieres Disneynature's 'Elephant' Early This April Alongside 'Dolphin Reef, "Meghan Markle Narrated This Documentary About Elephants. Likewise, narrator Meghan Markle makes clear that while this herd has survived its perilous journey, not all do". Our protagonist is Jomo, the young elephant son of Shani, second in command of a herd. I had, perhaps dumbly, been expecting something more along the lines of Planet Earth, narrated with dreamy authority by the likes of David Attenborough or Sigourney Weaver, or Life, given voice by Oprah Winfrey. When the water dries up, Gaia notices a baby elephant suffocating and stuck in the mud, so she goes to its rescue, and the baby is reunited with its mother. (If you have a trip planned to the salt flats of Botswana, take me with you!) Gaia realizes that the Angolan falls are early, and she and Shani immediately gather the herd to use the shortest route, but they soon find themselves confronted by a pride of lions. [6] VanityFair praised the movie and Meghan Markle's performance, stating "It’s a solid nature movie, not quite factual enough to be a true work of scientific observation, but engaging and persuasively conservationist in its subtle way. Meanwhile, in the highlands of Angola, rain starts to pour, which means the water is going off to the Okavango Delta, Shani and Jomo's home. Shani stands her ground at the rival matriarch, and the rivals retreat. Shani soon uses Gaia's memories, and begins to lead the herd back to the Delta. The film lets you feel that ache in every closeup of a weary elephant eye, every pan across cracked gray skin. And Elephant affords her, and us, some exciting opportunities. Well, she was an actor before she married international ginger idol Prince Harry, second grandson of Queen Elizabeth—so narrating a documentary isn’t totally out of her ken. The herd leaves the desert to join the other elephants on the long journey, they take a lunch break to have a family reunion with other herds of elephants, with some not seeing Gaia for over a year. Nature & Ecology Documentaries. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Shani teaches the young elephants how to get sap by ripping the thick bark. Life of Elephants [National Geographic Documentary HD 2017]Africa. Some could be scary/upsetting for certain viewers, especially when the youngest elephants are put at risk. What More Do You Need? A week later, an elephant gives birth to a newborn baby calf. 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