Twitter

Music icon Cher is taking viewers along for a touching journey about humans, animals, and our connection to all living beings on earth. In a new trailer released today for her upcoming film Cher and the Loneliest Elephant, the singer travels to Pakistan to rescue Kaavan, an elephant who’s been neglected and living alone for years.

The Smithsonian Channel documentary, which premieres on Paramount+ later this month, follows Cher as she teams up with animal experts and veterinarians to help transport Kaavan from a shed in Islamabad, where he’s been kept in chains for almost two decades, to a new home in Cambodia.

As a result of his difficult life, Kavaan was suffering from mental and physical issues, including distress after the death of his partner nine years ago. “Elephants are just like we are. They’re so family-oriented and so emotional,” Cher says in today’s trailer.

“I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world. People want a happy ending. People don’t want to see animals suffer,” Cher said, per Entertainment Weekly. “And I know people are suffering too, but this is a story that can brighten their lives.

“I was frightened [to do this], but then I thought, what do you want to do more? You made a promise, and you have to go,” she continued. “I didn’t see any other way to do it. I have a saying on my Twitter, ‘Stand and be counted or sit and be nothing.’ And I wasn’t going to sit and be nothing.”

To help raise awareness for Kavaan’s release, Cher also formed the organization Free the Wild and teamed up with Four Paws, an animal rescue group, to plan for the elephant’s relocation. And because it’s Cher, the rescue effort wouldn’t be complete without what she does best: music. The singer recorded a brand new track titled “Walls” to highlight Kavaan’s story.

Cher and the Loneliest Elephant premieres on Paramount+ on Earth Day, April 22. Watch the full trailer in the video above.