African Cats (film) Disneynature documentary, released in the U.S. on April 22, 2011, after an April 21 release in Argentina. In one of the wildest places on earth, we meet Mara, an endearing lion cub, who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit, and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion and his sons. Directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. 89 min. The cinematographers Owen Newman and Sophie Darlington spent two and a half years filming in the 580 square mile Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, one of the few remaining places in Africa where the big African cats—lions, cheetahs, and leopards—live in large numbers and in close proximity.
