The film adaptation of Chinese novel "Wolf Totem" is set to greet audiences during the Chinese New Year Holiday.[Photo/Agencies]

Wild epic 'Wolf Totem' has Oscar ambitions

Born to be wild

The film adaptation of Chinese novel "Wolf Totem" is set to greet audiences during the Chinese New Year Holiday next year.

The film, directed by Oscar-winning French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, was shot in Inner Mongolia, where the story is set.

It depicts the differences between the lives of Mongolian nomads and the Han Chinese through the eyes of Chen Zhen, who left his home in Beijing to work in Inner Mongolia in the 1970s.

Through observing and interacting with the wolves that wander on the prairie, Chen came to understand and respect the freedom, independence and determination of the nomads.

The film is the first Chinese production shot by a foreign director. It stars actors Feng Shaofeng and Dou Xiao.

The original novel, a bestseller by Jiang Rong, has won many awards since its publication ten years ago.