Emma Thompson narrates a cute, sobering tale of an orangutan for Greenpeace

Greenpeace is highlighting the plight of orangutans and the destruction of the rainforests in a new animated film narrated by Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson that's aimed at inspiring "the next generation of activists."

The 90-second spot is an animated fable that revolves around a little girl who discovers a "rang-tan" in her bedroom, destroying all her stuff, throwing away her chocolate and "howling" at her shampoo. While she doesn't know what to do, she does want to know why he's there. It's then that we discover a sad parallel--the film depicts how the animal's own habitat is being ruined by humans for the manufacture of palm oil. The little girl understands his predicament and then starts her own petition to save the orangutans. Mother London conceived the film, which was directed by Salon Alpin and produced out of Passion Pictures.

The film will run through Greenpeace and supporter social channels, online media and across U.K. cinema throughout August and September. In addition, Rang-tan's story has been made into a book, which will be distributed to Greenpeace supporting influencers and via the Greenpeace volunteer network.

The adorable animation coupled with the sobering message are a one-two punch that could get the younger generation talking about the plight of rainforests and orangutans.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, explains: "A decade ago we persuaded brands including Nestlé, Unilever and Mondelez to sign global commitments to drop dirty palm oil from their products by 2020 -- but with just 500 days to go, their progress is pitiful. Orangutans have been pushed to the very brink of extinction, Indigenous peoples' lives are threatened and climate change is accelerating.
It's no exaggeration to say that keeping these forests intact is vital for all life on earth and, with Rang-tan, we aim to bring this urgent message to millions more people."