Watch The Elephant Queen

The nature documentary The Elephant Queen follows the daily life of an elephant matriarch. The big beast has to guide and protect her family group as they move across the African plains. The movie follows the adventures of a large herd of elephants. The herd is led by a 50-year-old female elephant named Athena. She rules her followers with a stern but caring trunk. She helps them to find food and water. And she protects them from the dangers of the environment. The herd includes a younger female elephant named Mala. Mala has two daughters: a a toddler named Milli and a newborn named Mimi. The whole herd must take care of Mimi as she grows stronger. When a drought forces the herd to make a long journey to find a new water source, Athena is faced with a tough decision. She can wait to make the journey until Mimi is strong enough to survive the trek. But that will put the whole herd at risk. Or she can move now, which would risk Mimi's life. The film is a documentary, but it veers from scientific observation. The filmmakers project human traits on the elephants by giving them names and assuming they're following human motivations and thought processes. The Elephant Queen was filmed over the course of four years on the plains of Africa. It is the work of film makers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble. It is narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, star of 12 Years a Slave.