story
Nine-year-old Elizabeth would much rather spend her summer in the city, but instead she is stuck in the Venezuelan rainforest, looking after her little brother Leo. When Leo suddenly disappears, Elizabeth sets off without hesitation to search for him. Along the way, she encounters a mysterious mythical creature, befriends a boy from an Indigenous community and comes face to face with poachers threatening rare animals. As she searches for her brother, Elizabeth discovers that the jungle is not only wild and unpredictable, but also a world full of wonder, friendship and new discoveries.
about the author
Born in 1972, Edmund Jansons is a Latvian animator, acclaimed children’s book illustrator and director, and the founder of the animation studio Atom Art. His films have been screened and won awards at numerous international festivals. Since 2013, he has taught animation directing at the Art Academy of Latvia. In 2019, he was a guest at the 16th Animateka International Animated Film Festival.
filmography (selection)
2012 Choir Tour (short)
2014 Isle of Seals (short)
2019 Jekabs, Mimmi un runajosie suni (Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs)
2026 Laimīgie (Born in the Jungle)
"The film Born in the Jungle is an adventure film for young audiences. The two main characters are children (a sister and a brother) who are about to experience a fantastic day full
of adventures. As their mother Vilma says, ‘‘There’s always a grain of truth in every story’’. In fact, this family really did exist in the 1950s: a father who was an explorer, a courageous mother and two young children, the youngest who, like Leo, was born in the Venezuelan jungle, near the River Churún, at the foot of Mount Tepui, which, in the Pemón language, means ‘‘house of the gods’’. "
- Edmund Jansons