Monkey Kingdom Interview | Disneynature Ambassador Dr. M. Sanjayan

Monkey Kingdom Interview | Disneynature Ambassador Dr. M. Sanjayan #MonkeyKingdomEvent. Post sponsored by Disney. All monkeying opinions are my own

Monkey Kingdom Interview | Disneynature Ambassador Dr. M. Sanjayan

It’s true. Just yesterday I sat down to the most amazing interview. And this Monkey Kingdom interview is not a post to “swing” past. An amazing animal expert, documentary specialist and now Disneynature Ambassador, Dr. M. Sanjayan is one of the most fascinating interviews to date. See why Dr. M. Sanjayan says that Monkey Kingdom is “Downton Abbey meets Game of Thrones, set in the jungle.”

Who is Dr. M. Sanjayan?

I know what you’re thinking. Who is this Dr. M. Sanjayan? And why should we care? DR. M. SANJAYAN (Disneynature Ambassador) is executive vice president and senior scientist for Conservation International. The global conservation scientist, writer and Emmy®-nominated news contributor focuses on the connection between nature and human well-being. He serves on Conservation International’s senior leadership team as executive vice president and senior scientist. He’s filmed numerous animal documentaries for Disneynature, PBS and more.

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a very passionate and intelligent speaker with a lovely accent.

How long did the filming process take?

“1,000 days.”

In documentary terms, that is a very, very long time. An average documentary ratio is 1 day of filming per 1 minute of film. And if you do the math, that’s 10 days per 1 minute of film. I couldn’t even imagine what this crew endured for nearly 3 years of filming!

What was your favorite part of the movie?

“The underwater diving.”

Did you know that Toque Macaque Monkeys can swim? Fully diving and submerging monkeys underwater is rarely captured on film. The Disneynature filmmakers created extended scenes of perfect visions of the monkeys

Who is your favorite character?

“Grandpa.”

You’d think that the Disneynature ambassador would gravitate to the heroine of the story, Maya. But rather gleamingly, Dr. M. Sanjayan went with the eldest monkey in the group. To him, “that monkey is on his last legs.” He’s seen it all and survived, possessing a personality all his own that’s just fascinating to watch on screen.

Why is this movie special to you?

“Sri Lanka.”

Originally from the small island, Dr. M. Sanjayan was very proud and yet very worried about his home country. On this tiny land mass about the third of the size of Oregon, 12 species of monkeys that are only found on this island. All 12 of them are currently endangered. With less than 50 acres of protected land for these creatures, it’s only a matter of time that farmers overtake monkeys’ habitats.

The birthday cake

Dr. M. Sanjayan sees a part of himself in the film. There’s an unforgettable scene when the monkeys invade a birthday party. Let’s just say that the incident is very similar to Dr. Sanjayan’s 6th birthday.

What do you love about being a Disneynature ambassador?

“Disney is unusual.”

Bet you weren’t expecting that answer. But in this instance, unusual is a good thing. Everything done at Disney is done at a very high level. It may not be done fast, but the quality of every single product is very high. That means every Disneynature film (including Monkey Kingdom as the 8th edition) is just as amazing as the next. And more than setting the high bar, Disney also walks the walk. As with every Disneynature film, their focus on conservation has never wavered. True to their word, every single movie has given back to the stars of the movies. Amazing results such as planting millions of trees to saving 100s of acres, watching the films does so much more than just provide our families with With the new Disneynature Monkey Kingdom film, Dr. Sanjayan is hoping that opening week will bring at least $0.5 million in providing funds to protect monkey habitats. Wouldn’t it be amazing to exceed his dream goal?

Let’s make sure that we do our part. From April 17-23, when you purchase a ticket to see Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom, a portion of your ticket sale is donated to protect the monkeys in Sri Lanka. Such an easy way to give back to saving these adorable friends during Earth Week!

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Visit the official MONKEY KINGDOM website: https://nature.disney.com/monkey-kingdom

Be sure to check out why Disneynature Ambassador Dr. M. Sanjayan is so excited for you to see Monkey Kingdom, in theaters this Friday April 17th!

I was invited to attend an all-inclusive media event in exchange for this posting. All opinions are my own. Be sure to follow Saving Said Simply via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube for more reviews, Disney movie updates and more.