All language subtitles for Born in China 1080p.eng

China is a land
of myth and mystery,

almost inconceivably vast
and diverse.

From the eastern coastal plain...

..through mountain ranges
and forests...

..to the high plateau of Qinghai.

From this magnificent landscape

are born countless lives...

Each of them part of
a much larger story...

An all-encompassing circle of life

that is fuelled by the love,

the losses, and the hopes,

of many different creatures.

Our story takes place far
from the bustling cities

we often think of as China.

It is a story of cranes,

pandas,

antelope,

monkeys,

and leopards...

All of whom call China
their home.

CRANE TRUMPETS

Among all the creatures
in Chinese mythology,

the crane holds
a very special place.

A symbol of longevity
and good fortune,

it is one of the oldest

and most prominent figures
in Chinese art,

dating back thousands of years.

It is said that
when a crane takes flight

it carries along the spirit
of a departed creature...

..from this world to the next.

The Qinghai Plateau
in western China

is the highest
mountain plateau on Earth,

and here,
the elusive snow leopard

rules the range.

This is Dawa...

..and this incredible dreamscape
is her home.

At an altitude of
14,000 feet above sea level,

the climate here is
too cold for most mammals...

..but Dawa thrives here.

Every part of her body is designed
for this unique terrain...

From her exceptionally long tail

that helps her maintain balance,

to her grey, dappled fur

that provides the perfect camouflage

in these rocky surroundings.

Dawa is at the top
of her food chain

and at the top of her game.

She knows every crag
and cranny of this mountain.

This is her turf.

But she's picked up a scent...

An unwelcome visitor.

DAWA GROWLS

The intruder knows
she's in Dawa's territory,

but challenges her, nonetheless.

LOW GROWLING

They face off
in a chilling test of nerves.

Dawa must convey strength

or risk a full-on battle.

SNARLING

The intruder finally submits.

Dawa retains her supremacy...

..for now.

Dawa is not a feline
to be messed with,

and, right now, nothing
could shake her resolve.

After all, it's not just
her hunting grounds

she's protecting.

CUBS YELP

To her, these two little cubs

are the most important things
on Earth.

Providing for them
and keeping them safe

is her life's mission.

Far to the east of Dawa,

in the Sichuan mountain
valleys of central China,

a mere 8,000 feet
above sea level,

golden snub-nosed monkeys
run wild.

Monkeys have long been figures
of rebellion and mischief

in Chinese folk tales.

One of the most
mischievous monkeys

on this mountain is Tao Tao.

He's the class clown of his troop

and an aspiring kung fu master.

At two years old,

Tao Tao no longer needs
to be overseen by his parents,

but he still likes to come home
to his father's side

after a long day of adventuring.

SQUEAKING

Tao Tao just loves his dad.

His dad, however, isn't big
on showing affection...

..leaving Tao Tao feeling
a little unappreciated.

Oh, well.

He can always count on his mother
to shower him with attention...

BABY MONKEY SQUEALS

..but the recent arrival of a new
baby sister in the family

has spoiled some of that maternal
magic on the home front.

While monkey families
only have one father,

they each have several mothers,

who all help one another
care for their young.

Tao Tao misses the days

when he used to be
the centre of attention.

Despite the danger involved...

..he's quickly coming to the
realisation that he's no longer

the darling of his family.

This new little bundle of joy
has taken his place.

It seems so unfair,

when all the comfort and acceptance
you've got used to

is suddenly stolen from you.

"Fine, forget it, then!"

This is exactly the kind of thing

that makes a monkey
turn to mischief.

Right next door to Tao Tao,

in a lush bamboo forest on the other
side of the mountain,

life is decidedly less stressful.

This is Ya Ya...

A giant panda.

Pandas are basically
the opposite of monkeys.

They're not interested
in stirring up trouble.

They just want to be left alone
to eat...

..and relax...

..and scratch...

..various, different areas.

Once Ya Ya has completed
her morning chores,

she returns to her real focus
in life,

her newborn daughter, Mei Mei.

Outside of raising cubs,

adult female pandas live almost
completely solitary lives.

So, for Ya Ya,

this is the most treasured
time of her life.

BLEATING

These two will be spending
the next several months

snuggled up here inside this den.

But then, they'll step out
into the world...

..and the real journey will begin.

Up in the higher elevations
of western China,

a very different kind
of family roams the plateau.

Chiru antelope are worshipped as
sacred creatures in this region.

They are the living embodiment

of nature's back-and-forth,
seasonal cycle.

Every spring,
thousands of female chiru

embark on an epic journey,

but it's a bittersweet occasion.

They must bid farewell
to the males

who will not see them
again for several months.

ANTELOPE BELLOWS

In the meantime...

..these bucks will have to make
do on their own.

SNORTS

The migration of
these revered creatures

washes across the mountain plains
of western China

like an ocean tide.

Their destination?

The legendary Zhuonai Lake

in the remote uplands
of the Qinghai Plateau.

RASPING MEOW

Dawa's cubs are now old enough

to venture outside their cave
into the sunshine.

To them, this vast mountain range

is just one big, rocky playground.

Like pandas,

adult snow leopards
live very solitary lives,

so with no-one infringing
on her territory,

no competition
for Queen of the Mountain,

she can focus all her
attention on her young.

Dawa could not be more content.

Nothing compares to being
loved by the ones you love most.

PURRING

And while Dawa would
love nothing more

than to just sit back
and watch them climb and play,

she has other responsibilities.

She needs to hunt.

These yaks offer a bounty of meat

but are far too powerful
and dangerous.

She considers this marmot.

SHARP TRILL

No, she doesn't.

But these glorious creatures?

This is what dinner looks like.

Bharal sheep are Dawa's main prey.

Her intimate knowledge
of her home terrain

helps her locate her prey
and manoeuvre them

into rocky narrows and steep slopes

where they are more vulnerable
to attack.

Like Dawa, these sheep are built to
survive in these mountains.

Their blanched fur
is the ideal camouflage

and their strong legs make them
remarkably fast and nimble...

SHRILL CHIRP

LOUD BLEATING

..but Dawa is smarter.

Her cubs will go to sleep
with full stomachs tonight.

This one meal could tide them over
for an entire week.

In Dawa's world,

you must take life to give life.

Tao Tao has become
increasingly dejected

and has been spending a lot of time

just trying to avoid his little
sister, and his family.

But today, he's come across
some interesting neighbours

who could change all that.

These are the Lost Boys,

a gang of young, male outcasts,

some of them as young as Tao Tao.

These guys know all about rejection.

Being a Lost Boy is sort of like
running away to join the circus,

except with fewer rules.

These kids don't seem
to have a care in the world.

This is Rooster...

..the leader of the Lost Boys.

He's been in a lot of battles.

You see that eye?

Tao Tao's father had a hand in that.

He's certainly taken notice
of Tao Tao.

Maybe Tao Tao reminds him
of himself at that age...

..or maybe he just stares
at stuff a lot.

In any case, if Tao Tao
has been looking

for a way to vent his
frustrations

he's come to the right place,

because on this sunny afternoon,

the Lost Boys have invited him.

to play an ancient
traditional monkey game

called Let's Break Branches.

# You told us and you told us twice

# Burn this city to the ground

# We're gonna burn this city
to the ground

# We're gonna burn

# He's gonna burn

# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. #

PLAYFUL SQUEALING

This is exactly
what Tao Tao needs right now!

Some of their shenanigans, however,
go a little too far for Tao Tao.

Like stealing a baby,

for kicks?

But hey, it's not like
it's his sister.

Being mischievous
troublemakers

is exhausting work.

For Tao Tao, though,

life with the Lost Boys
seems pretty sweet.

Until...

Goshawks are virtually the only
natural predators these monkeys have

and they're always on the lookout
for abandoned babies.

FRIGHTENED SQUEAK

In the blink of an eye, Tao Tao's
world is turned upside down.

SHRILL SQUAWK

"That came out of nowhere.

"Why wasn't anyone
keeping an eye out?"

THUNDER CRACKS

It's a harsh dose of
reality for Tao Tao.

That easily could have
been his little sister.

The summer winds,

carrying the warm scent
of fresh pastures,

have led the chiru
to their sacred destination,

Zhuonai Lake...

..and the real purpose
of their heroic journey...

now reveals itself.

The whole fantastic,
continuous cycle

that is chiru existence

is built on this first moment
of bonding

between a mother and her baby

sharing each other's scent.

Miraculously, baby chiru
are able to walk

within 30 minutes
of being born.

It's that "standing still"
part that's so difficult.

Within a few days,

they can run like their mothers.

As mothers and their calves learn to
identify each other by smell,

they're forming the essential,
unbreakable connections

that bind the herd together

and allow it to survive
its return migration.

Sometimes, it takes a while

for calves to figure out
whose smell is whose,

and they're gently encouraged
to keep sniffing.

The chiru will stay here
until the calves are capable

of making their long return journey.

Then, their pendulum
will swing back toward home

where they'll be reunited with
the males they left behind.

BELLOWING

Up in the mountains of Sichuan

the turn of seasons unfurls

in a breathtaking kaleidoscope
of colour.

BABY SNUFFLES

Ya Ya and her baby have finally
emerged from their den of solitude.

It's time for Mei Mei
to meet the world.

"Well, the baby's been fed...

"..and cuddled...

"..and put to bed.

"Time for lunch."

Pandas in the wild
eat almost nothing but bamboo.

Up to 40lbs per day.

40...

..pounds...

..of bamboo...

..per day!

Mei Mei, however, has a belly full
of mother's milk

and is fully rested...

..and there's a whole
new world to explore.

Right...

She can't really go anywhere.

At this age, panda cubs
have barely learned to crawl...

..but that doesn't diminish
her fascination

with all these new sights
and sounds...

Like this guy.

A red panda.

He's not really a panda
at all.

He's actually closer to a raccoon.

Mei Mei doesn't care what he is.

She just wants to climb up there
and say hello.

Red pandas spend almost all their
time up in trees

which makes him
a perfect role model for Mei Mei,

because climbing trees

is all baby pandas dream about.

There's so much beauty.

It's entrancing.

But behind the beauty...

..lurks danger.

MEI MEI SQUEAKS

"OK...?

"And here we go again..."

PLAYFUL SQUEAK

"Oh, my gosh.

"That was so embarrassing."

Mums are always there to pick
you up when you fall down...

..and to drag you around
by the neck afterward.

If she could,

Ya Ya would stay
in this moment forever.

All she wants to do
is hold on to her baby

and smother her with love...

MEI MEI SNUFFLES

..but Mei Mei has had a
taste of freedom...

..and she likes it.

Pine nuts are only
available in the fall,

and today, Rooster and the Lost Boys

have found a nice patch
all to themselves.

And Tao Tao is making sure
he gets his fair share.

"Whoops."

He's been spending almost all his
time with the Lost Boys

ever since his cute little baby
sister swallowed up his family.

But when Tao Tao's father shows up,

with the whole family in tow,

the festive mood changes...

..to less festive.

Rooster probably still has
a chip on his shoulder

about that whole eye thing.

GROWLING AND SQUEALING

Looks like it's time
for some long-awaited payback.

Tao Tao can't believe this.

Why is Rooster picking a fight
with his father?

The females in Tao Tao's family
rally around their man.

Rooster, however, is on his own.

The Lost Boys only
look out for themselves.

With nobody to back him up

Rooster beats a hasty retreat.

AGGRESSIVE SQUEAKING

Tao Tao is torn.

These new pals of his

are turning out to be a bunch
of self-centred brats.

Is there anybody in this crazy world
you can actually depend on?

Up on the high plains,

the chiru have embarked
on their journey back home

to rejoin the males...

..but the smell of young calves
has attracted followers.

This wolf tests the herd,

trying to separate the little ones.

By now, luckily, those baby legs
are strong and fast,

just like their mothers'.

The chiru are united.

The bonds between mums
and babies hold strong,

each calf glued
to its mother's scent.

The herd is many...

..but the herd is one.

The sheer beauty of China

manifests itself
in so many different ways,

in so many remote corners.

It sometimes feels like
another world.

Under Dawa's nurturing,

her cubs are growing into
two impressive young cats...

..and she's just had
a successful hunt,

which comes none too soon.

Her cubs are now fully weaned
and hungry for some fresh meat.

They've been watching and learning
the ways of the great hunter,

their mum.

But, suddenly, across the valley,
the intruder has returned.

This time,
with her three grown sons.

Scarcity of prey has brought them
into Dawa's territory

and they are more than prepared
to take all that is hers.

Dawa's old rival is
much more emboldened

now that she has
reinforcements.

She and Dawa both know

Dawa would never survive
a fight against all four leopards.

SHE GROWLS

Dawa can't bring herself to abandon
this precious food, though.

Her cubs must eat, and when it comes
to their survival

Dawa would fight almost any foe.

The trade-off between life
and death

is sometimes a very
difficult calculation.

But then, the sons move in.

Outnumbered and out-fanged,

Dawa must retreat
to guard her cubs.

Not satisfied with merely
stealing Dawa's kill,

the interlopers now pursue her

to let her know
they're here to stay.

To save her young,

Dawa must take them
and leave the area.

Expelled from their own home.

When your baby is the cutest,
fuzziest creature

this side of the Yangtze River,

it's not easy to just leave
it alone.

PLAYFUL SQUEAKING

At six months old,
Mei Mei is thinking

she's ready to move about
on her own.

Her mother is thinking...

"Yeah, not so much."

That's a tall tree,

and Mei Mei is no expert climber...

..yet.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAKING

"Come on. Mum! I just want to...

"Argh!"

Being a helicopter mum can suffocate
a cub's curiosity, though.

For young pandas, tree climbing
is a rite of passage.

When a cub is able to
successfully climb a tree

it means it can be safe
from predators.

A cub that can climb a tree

is a cub that no longer needs
its mother.

"Mum, relax. I got this."

SHRILL SQUEAK

On the plains of Qinghai

the male chiru stand guard
on the home front,

awaiting the return
of their far-roving females.

The females have
travelled long and far

to be reunited with their partners.

Unfortunately,

after being away
from each other for so long,

neither the males nor the females

have the slightest idea
who their partners are.

But not to worry,

the males are more than happy
to impress new females

and start new families.

They've spent the entire spring
and summer bulking up

and vying with each other
for supremacy,

and they're raring
to show off their masculinity.

"Problems with wolves, ladies?"

"Fear not.
I'll deal with this scoundrel!"

GRUNTING

One glance at that
imposing male physique

and this scrappy little predator
is soon sent on his way.

"Hey!

"Whoa!"

"It's all good."

"The ice causes a bit of a... Whoa!"

Regardless of how
they accomplish it,

the herd always comes together
again as one great big family...

..and the never-ending
tide of chiru life flows on.

BLEATING

As the temperatures
begin to plummet,

the once mighty
Queen of the Mountain

hasn't made a kill in over a week.

Now, she's forced to share
her unfamiliar, new territory

with more successful rivals.

She must survey the area constantly

to get the lay of the land

and re-establish her dominion
with scent markings...

..but she's been spotted by this
area's male.

AGGRESSIVE SNARLING AND SPITTING

She defends her ground bravely,

but is forced to retreat
back to her cubs.

Those playful days of summer

seem very far away
to Dawa right now.

If only a family's love
could determine its fate.

SNUFFLING AND SQUEAKING

Ya Ya's instinct
is to keep her cub safe...

..but she can't protect
Mei Mei forever.

At some point,

she's going to have to let go.

WHIMPERING

Just...maybe not today.

Winter turns the dense forest

into a majestic, crystal
fantasy land.

This is the first snowfall
Tao Tao's sister has ever seen.

Her pure amazement
is a welcome distraction

from the hardships of winter.

"What is this stuff?"

EXCITED SQUEAKING

"Whatever it is, it's cold.

"Must get to higher ground!"

Yes, snow is a bummer...

..and it's really cold
on your hands.

The one upside is,

it's a perfect excuse
to walk like this.

The cold and scarcity of winter

has brought the various groups
within the troop together again.

They're so hungry...

..they'll eat anything.

LOUD GRUNTING

Rooster certainly isn't giving
Tao Tao any hand-outs...

..or warmth...

..or support.

This is what you get

when you're hooked up
with the Lost Boys.

Whoa!

Rooster is scrapping
over food again...

..and the hostility is spreading.

Before you know it, Tao Tao
gets drawn into the fray.

Even his little sister
gets caught up in it.

She tries to help her brother
and stop them from fighting

but there's just no reasoning
with these animals.

Tao Tao's father
wants nothing to do with it.

There's barely any food here
to fight over, anyway.

He packs up his family
and heads off

to lower, warmer territory.

With the cold biting at his bones,

Tao Tao is longing for some comfort.

For someone, anyone,
to just keep him warm.

He misses his family.

Up until now, he's resisted
going back to them.

Maybe he's still bitter
about his sister.

Maybe he's trying to prove something
to his father.

Who knows?

Right now, he needs warmth.

He abandons the Lost Boys...

..and follows his family.

His sister welcomes him back...

..but life isn't always that simple.

His father won't let him in.

Tao Tao has no-one to turn to.

He's run out of options.

Between winter's wrath

and plain old bad luck

Dawa's hunting successes
have been few and far between.

But these sheep, seeking shelter
from the weather,

have just moved within range.

Something terrible happens,
though.

The snow has concealed jagged rocks

and Dawa has injured her paw.

Dawa knows if she and her cubs
are to survive,

she must be in top physical
condition to hunt.

It looks like Tao Tao has finally

been allowed to rejoin
the family furball...

..or more like cling onto
the outside of it.

As long as he's willing to help
protect the family against the cold

his father will let him stay.

It's better than freezing all alone.

At least his little sister
looks happy to see him.

Maybe Tao Tao is finally learning

the true value of family...

..or maybe he's just really cold.

In China,

some believe the panda to be
the living embodiment

of the yin and yang concept,

the curved black-and-white
patterns of its fur

mimicking the symbol itself.

This duality of opposing forces
exists everywhere in nature...

..but perhaps nowhere more so

than in the mounting relationship
between Ya Ya and Mei Mei.

The push and pull between
freedom and protection

is coming to a head.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAK

Ya Ya wants so badly

to hold on to her precious
daughter and keep her safe...

..but Mei Mei has an uncontrollable,

evolutionary urge to just climb.

MEI MEI BLEATS

And yeah, sure, the kid
has some issues with gravity...

..but so what? Life is risky.

She's going to fall down...

..and then, she'll get back up...

..but at some point,
she has to do it on her own...

..and today is that day.

CONTENTED BLEATING

As deep as Ya Ya's love
for her daughter is,

there is a force that is stronger...

A force of nature...

..and it's pulling them apart.

She's going for it.

The day you climb a tree
on your own...

..without falling out of it...

EXCITED SQUEAK

..is a big day.

Ya Ya may be a slightly
overprotective mother,

but she's raised one extraordinary
little panda.

She also knows

it will soon be time to say goodbye.

The joy a mother receives

from raising a cub
from birth, however,

is worth a thousand farewells.

Springtime means more food...

More fleas...

..and more babies...

..which, in turn, means...

..more baby fever.

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS

Though Tao Tao is getting along
better with his family lately,

he's understandably been spending
less time around his father...

..and a lot more time by himself.

Tao Tao's sister is
growing up, too.

She's starting to show off
her own personality.

She's at an age now where her mother
can leave her alone

to go forage for food...

..or for someone else's baby.

But wherever there are little babies

goshawks are not far away.

Tao Tao spots the predator
and sounds the alarm.

SHARP SQUEAK

The troop scrambles for cover.

All little ones are accounted for.

Except for one - Tao Tao's sister.

But Tao Tao has been
keeping an eye on her

and leaps into action.

He reaches her just in time.

LOUD SQUAWK

Tao Tao has never felt so valued.

He acted on pure instinct
to protect his sister,

and that brave act
has made him realise...

..that he's grown up,

a lot.

His dad is definitely happy
to have him back in the fold.

The young outcast
without a care in the world

has grown up into the family hero.

He's certainly a hero
in his sister's eyes.

Back up on the high plateau,

the winter snow lingers
well into spring...

DEEP PURRING

..and Dawa is still fighting
to provide for her cubs.

The injury to her foot has greatly
hampered her hunting ability

and she no longer has the speed
to chase down prey

as fast as these wild sheep.

But an opportunity arises.

In springtime,
domesticated yaks are released

to graze in the higher elevations.

These beasts are ten times
as heavy as Dawa

and one blow from those powerful
horns could be fatal.

Going up against a whole herd
is like attacking an army...

..but her cubs are relying on her.

It's now or never.

TENSE DRAMATIC MUSIC

The calf's mother rallies
to save her baby.

Dawa refuses to let go.

She knows this is her last chance...

..but a yak mother's will
to protect her young

is just as strong as Dawa's.

The yak strikes Dawa
hard with her horns.

Dawa is injured badly.

One mother's brave rescue
of her baby...

..is another's tragic failure
to feed hers.

LOW GRUNTING

STIRRING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

MELANCHOLIC VIOLIN MUSIC

LOUD WHOOPING

In Chinese mythology,
when a life ends

a crane carries that soul

to rejoin the cycle of birth
and rebirth.

From the end to the beginning...

..time pushes this cycle
ever forward.

The young become adults...

The adults grow old...

..and the old are reborn.

Death is not the end.

It is merely a waypoint in a circle
that continues endlessly.

SOFT SNUFFLING

TRUMPETING

HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAKING

CRANES WHOOP AND TRUMPET

SQUEAKY YAWN

Every creature plays its part

in this great cyclical symphony.

Each life lived

is just one beat
in the larger, beautiful rhythm.

This vast land breeds
both love and hardship...

..but in the hardship...

..there is hope.

RAUCOUS SQUEAKING

This is where they live.

This is where they die.

This is where they grow.

This is where they are born.

In China.

# I spent my whole life
dreaming of a perfect world

# Where I thought you'd be
Thought you'd be

# I spent my whole life
waiting for a moment

# With you next to me
Next to me... #

We tried to take some time-lapses
of the landscape.

As you might see right now,

the light is not very interesting.

But the good thing is

the weather is changing
every half an hour.

So, if you don't like
the weather or the light

you just have to wait a little bit
and everything changes again.

Got a snow leopard
sneaking up on blue sheep.

It doesn't get any better than this!

# ..Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Cos you're my everything,
everything

# Everything, everything... #

Now it's hailing.

Perhaps, in half an hour,
it will be beautiful sunshine.

So, it's just a waiting game.

# ..I heard your name
up in the sky above the trees

# When it came to me
Came to me

# I spent my whole life
trying to fill my heart

# When you're all I need
All I need

# I pull you closer and closer

# Closer and closer

# I don't want to let you go

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Cos you're my everything,
everything

# Everything, everything

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey... #

RADIO: Hello?

He's looking in to the monitor!

Oh! The camera moves.

# ..It took my whole life

# It took my whole life

# To fall back into you... #

OK, it's...
Again, half an hour later,

and now it's snowing.

We have rolling mist

and a proper thunderstorm.

But I'm still convinced that
if we wait another half an hour...

we will have best conditions
for my time-lapse.

# ..Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Cos you're my everything,
everything

# Everything, everything

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey... #

It's really wonderful
getting so intimate

with the early family life of such
a rare and beautiful bird.

# ..It took my whole life

# It took my whole life

# To fall back into you

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out
on a single day

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss
out on a single day

# Cos you're my everything,
everything

# Everything, everything

# Hey yo, hey yo, yo hey

# I don't want to miss out

# No, I don't want to miss out

# I don't want to miss
out on a single day

# Cos you're my everything,
everything. #