A Song For Love: An Ape with An App

A Song For Love: An Ape with An App is a nature documentary co-directed by Chen Yizhi and Ding Quan, produced by Binfan Nature (Beijing) Culture Media Co., Ltd. in collaboration with institutions including Bilibili. Filming began in 2016 and was completed over the course of four years. The film is part of the “China Ape Imaging Conservation Project” series. Guided by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, it focuses on the Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon in the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan—a newly identified ape species named by scientists in China, with an estimated population of only around 150 individuals remaining.

Utilizing 4K ultra-high-definition technology, the film offers the first comprehensive documentation of the gibbons’ canopy-level behaviors and courtship processes, revealing numerous aspects of their social and reproductive lives that had never previously been observed. Beyond depicting their elusive existence, the story also follows an innovative conservation practice in which a scientific research team collaborated with sound artist Xingyu Li to facilitate breeding through the use of mobile livestreaming applications.

This form of technologically mediated intervention—sometimes described as a “cyber matchmaker” approach—not only demonstrates the potential role of digital tools in wildlife conservation, but also invites reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world.

Production Team

Directors: Chen Yizhi (Olivia), Ding Quan

Producer: Chen Yizhi (Olivia)

Chief Scientific Advisor: Fan Pengfei

Theme Song / Sound Artist: Xingyu Li

Guidance and Supporting Institutions:

National Forestry and Grassland Administration

Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Administration

Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve Administration

Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve Administration

Beijing Zoo

Sun Yat-sen University

Awards and Honors

Best Story Award, NaturVision Film Festival (Germany), 2020

Best Science Film Award, International Nature Film Festival, 2020

Best Song, Deauville Green Awards, 2020

Finalist, UN World Wildlife Day International Film Showcase

Finalist, IWFF International Wildlife Film Festival (Wildlife Conservation Category)

Official Selection, MIPTV Cannes “Nature & Wildlife” Documentary Showcase