Fu Bao documentary set for September release at local theaters

A documentary film about Korea's famous giant panda Fu Bao will hit local theaters on Sept. 4.

Giant panda Fu Bao [BARUNSON E&A]

A documentary film about Korea's famous giant panda Fu Bao will hit local theaters on Sept. 4.

Tentatively titled “Hello, Grandpa,” the film follows the stories of Fu Bao and Everland zookeepers, including Kang "Grandpa" Cheol-won, from the day they met in 2020 to their farewell in April.

Grandpa is a nickname for zookeeper Kang, who took care of Fu Bao and her family at Everland in Gyeonggi.

Directed by Shim Jun and Thomas Ko, the film will include special records of the three months leading up to Fu Bao’s departure, capturing never-before-seen sides of Fu Bao and the candid feelings of the zookeepers, according to its distributor Barunson E&A.

Fu Bao, born in Korea in 2020, was the first giant panda to be born in Korea. Her parents are Le Bao and Ai Bao.

The panda had to move back to China in April because of the mandate that all giant pandas return to the country at the age of four regardless of where they were born.

A poster of the documentary film on giant panda Fu Bao and her zookeepers at Everland [BARUNSON E&A]

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]