Documentary shares the 'horse power' of Chinese zodiac animal

Mark Brownlow, a veteran director known for the BBC's award-winning Frozen Planet II and Blue Planet II, has faced danger numerous times in his decades-long career as a wildlife filmmaker. Surprisingly, the creature that once filled him with more unease than any other was the horse.

"I have worked with many animals, been bitten by lions, and pushed away hungry tiger sharks. But I fell off horses twice, and only horses made me nervous," Brownlow admits at a media event in Shanghai to introduce his new film, Horse Power.

Initially hesitant about the project, Brownlow discovered the horse's remarkable traits during filming — strength, speed, intuition, and wisdom — qualities reflected in zodiac culture. This newfound reverence fueled the creation of Horse Power, one of the world's first zodiac-themed big-screen films, and a Sino-foreign collaboration that bridges Chinese culture with global audiences.

Horse Power premiered on Jan 9 at the newly renovated cinema at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which Brownlow dubbed "one of the world's largest and most prestigious museums". He explains that the film sprang from a clear vision "to get the best wildlife team and make a world-class film that would be celebrated not only in China in the Year of the Horse, but by the entire world".

Conceived by Chinese producers and co-created with Brownlow's team, the two-year production spanned four continents, weaving global horse stories into a narrative rooted in Chinese zodiac culture, an effort that lies at the heart of the film's uniqueness.

"We aimed for a clearer path to tell the zodiac horse story in a language the world can understand," says Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The venue's new cinema, boasting the world's largest sound-transparent LED screen, enhances this vision, bringing the film's 8K footage to life for an immersive experience of the horse's graceful strength.

To capture audiences' hearts, the film presents vivid tales of horses and humans across continents. At its core is Jula, the 8-year-old daughter of an Inner Mongolian herder discovered on TikTok, whose 18-kilometer race tests the legendary stamina of Mongolian horses, making a "heart-in-the-mouth experience the crew will never forget", Brownlow recalls.

The crew also camped for a month in the United States' Sierra Nevada to film wild mustang battles, using high-speed cameras to capture the dramatic details, and galloped alongside Qatar's fastest Arabian stallion, Al Ghadeer, using a bespoke minicamera for steady 3D shots.

The crew also documented 32-inch miniature guide horses, Digby and Hazel, as they comforted children in UK hospitals. "They can slow their heartbeats to match the children's and instinctively know who needs them most," he notes of the scene that "had the entire crew in tears".

Back in China's Gobi Desert, the film captures a milestone: the release of five once-extinct wild Przewalski horses, made possible by Chinese conservationists and the team's efforts to capture the wild horses' precious moments.

"Filming complete, I was humbled by the horse. No other animal offers such a range of emotion and drama," Brownlow says, noting that horses, loved globally, are the perfect medium for cross-cultural storytelling.

"Film is a powerful medium, and if we get this right, we can shine a light on the unique qualities of the horse, highlight their contribution as our closest ally to human civilization, and reveal their ongoing relevance today."

Having grown to admire horses deeply, Brownlow once wondered if the film would leave audiences equally in awe, but his worries were quickly put to rest. The film's global rollout is already gaining momentum. Following its Shanghai debut, it will screen at over 200 science venues worldwide, with support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to bring it to China's remote regions.

"Fort Worth's science and natural history museum will run it for 18 months, starting with its North American premiere at their rodeo festival next week," Brownlow notes. "Global buyers are eager to educate audiences on horses' incredible power in the Year of the Horse and beyond."

For Brownlow, Horse Power's true significance lies in its role as a cultural connector. "It is not just a film, but a bridge linking nature and humanity, and connecting China with the world."