An unlikely hero from a small hill-tribe village overcomes overwhelming odds in her life-long quest to save the Asian elephant.

In the heart of South East Asia’s jungles a dark secret is about to be revealed. The illegal trade in elephants is on the rise and becoming a profitable industry for unscrupulous buyers worldwide. No new laws are being drafted and existing laws are rarely enforced. As trekking and tourism grows in South East Asia so does the demand for elephants. They come across the border from neighboring Burma at an alarming rate and are laundered into the system by corrupt officials. Conservationists are concerned, believing there may be less than 5000 left in the wild and that Burma is the remaining stronghold for elephants in SE Asia; Burma, a country under military rule and in constant conflict.

But one woman vows to change it all. From the deep jungles of Northern Thailand, a tiny woman overcomes unbeatable odds through the strength and compassion of her heart. For the tortured and dying giants of the jungle, it’s a never-ending battle that she will stop at nothing to win, even at the cost of her own life.

Sangduen “Lek” Chailert is the Dianne Fosey of the elephant world with an important advantage; she’s still alive. She’s been threatened, shot at, sued, her land stolen, her animals poisoned, and her partner murdered. She risks her life to venture deep into the heart of the Burmese jungles to uncover heinous crimes against nature and to reach out to the people responsible.

This documentary explores the exploits of Asia’s famous elephant lady who came from a small hill-tribe village in Northern Thailand. She’s a woman who has endured life-long struggles and overcome enormous obstacles, in spite of steep odds, to finally earn her TIME magazine position as one of Asia’s top 50 influential women. She’s been recognized by National Geographic, and Oprah Winfrey; and she’s changing the face of travel. This is the real-life Gorilla’s in the Mist in South East Asia.