Love and war in Africa's wild

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YP cadet Holly Siu
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YP cadet Holly Siu |
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Journeying deep into the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, African Cats is a nature documentary about lions, cheetahs and the survival of the fittest.

The film by Disneynature is divided into three tales.

Fang and his family have to fight rival lions Kali and his three sons who will stop at nothing to conquer the land - even crossing a river teeming with crocodiles and hippos.

Sita, a tough, beautiful cheetah, bravely protects her five baby cubs from predators like hyenas.

And Layla, a wise lioness, has fun bonding with her little Mara, but the mother finds she also has to watch out for the cub.

Directed by experienced documentarians Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill, African Cats captures the savannah in all its beauty. It is narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson and was filmed entirely in the wild over two years.

The camera gets so close to the animals that you can see every muscle and contour of the bodies. You even notice the tiny flies that rest on the big cats!

The story lines look at the cycle of life and death and the power of motherly love. It seems big cats are not so different from humans after all.

Perhaps I'm just a sucker for films with animals, but watching the love among the playful, adorable cheetah cubs melted my heart.

YP Rating: 5/5


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