The Last Free Men

Who are the last free men of the planet?

They are untamable, rebellious and noble. They don’t recognize laws or borders. Their life is an eternal journey. They only abide by natural law and their ancestral codes, in which hospitality comes first and is almost the only precept.

They live in the most remote places, in jungles, mountains and deserts, where their customs and traditions are still safe from outside influences. They are free; no one has been able to change them. They are possibly the only free men of the world.

The film crews of Explora Films have come into contact with the last nomadic tribes left on the planet.

These documentaries reveal how they live.

The Kamba, Golok, Buryat, Tsaatan, Darkhad, Dolpo, Tuareg, Pygmy, Sanema, Hoti, Austalian Aborigines, etc.- nomads of the five continents, who continue to live as their ancestors did. Their customs remain unchanged because that is what allows them to survive in their extreme habits.

A fascinating series which will make us think about our own existence and if we are really happier than they are.

Ep.1: The Eternal Journey

The Peul or Fulani live on the African Sahel strip. They are also called “the Men of oxen”. Of uncertain and mysterious origin; they feel strongly about beauty.

In the heart of the Venezuelan jungle, we film the Hoti Indians for the first time. Our crew went up the Parusito River to its headwaters and found a group of these Indians. There are only 200 of them left and this was a true journey through the tunnel of time back to the Neolithic period.

In Mongolia, on the backs of 3 horses, the film crews of Explora Films travel to the Taiga to meet the Tsaatan, a group of nomads who live on deer, in one of the most extreme climates of the planet.

In the North of Australia, we visited the last strongholds of Aborigines. We will enter the era of dreams with them, and we will learn the system of symbols of their paintings -true encrypted maps of Australia.

At 5,000 meters about sea level, we reach the Khamba. They are easily recognized by their black tents and large herds of yacks. They are nomads found at the top of the world. They are deeply religious. They live in constant prayer, while surviving in one of the most remote enclaves of China.

Ep.2: A Life without Borders

The Tuareg, also known as the “Blue People”, have always been the lords of the desert. Our crews find them in northern Niger, during the season in which their large camel caravans plough through the dunes of Tenere to gather salt from the salt marshes of Bilma.

From the small towns of Charazani and Curva, hidden in the remote gorges of the Andean mountains of Apolobamba, the Callahuayas set off on journeys that last up to two years. They are witch doctors who travel the American continent with the mission to cure sick people. We witness the return of a caravan of these sacred wizards.

In India, we travel together with the Holy Men. They are the Sadhus. They live a life of wandering as they move from one temple to the next, preaching in the towns. Everyone lay flat on the ground as they pass, although they practice another religion.

The jungle in the south of Ecuador and the north of Peru is inhabited by the feared Huaorani. There are still Huaorani tribes today with whom no one has ever made contact. They are feared on account of their poisoned darts. They live isolated, although many have adapted to the influences of the surrounding culture.

The Chinese province of Qinghai, at 5,000 meters above sea level, is inhabited by the Golokpa. They still ride through the plateaus, with their traditional dresses decorated with snow leopard skins. They continue to be rooted to their nomadic customs. Their portable homes are always guarded by the fierce Tibetan mastiffs.

Ep.3: Beyond the Horizon

In the deepest part of the central African jungle, we coexist with the Baka Pygmies – an authentic journey back to our pre-history. The Baka continue to travel through the jungle with ember, to preserve the fire, and they continue to sharpen their teeth to better chew the meat of the prey they hunt in the jungle.

The Tibetan bee keepers have a very peculiar nomadic life. They travel pursuing flowers. In Tibet, the flowering season takes place during different months, based on the height above sea level of the lands. These bee keepers climb up and down all year long in search of pollen for their insects.

The Bahau are water nomads. They live on the islands of Sulawesi and never step foot on land. Everything they do takes place on board their small boats. It is difficult for some to walk due to the time they spend with their legs bent. We will fish for sponges and we will visit their fish farms with them.

In central Mongolia we find the Darkhad nomads. Ninety percent of the Mongol population is still nomadic. They move their camps eight times a year. We will attend their Shamanic cults and we will travel with them through the vast steppes.

Ep.4: Land without Owners

They cross the Himalayas every year with their heavy-loaded yacks in search of salt. They are the Dolpo. Our film crews have accompanied them on a crazy journey; one that is not suitable for those afraid of heights. Undoubtedly, the Dolpo are the nomadic people who risk their lives the most in order to survive.

The basin of the Cauca river in Venezuela has the most extensive untouched jungles of South America. Near its spectacular waterfalls, we find the Sanama Indians, who still live isolated from the world. We will learn the secrets of this virgin jungle through them. In the darkness of the forest, we will witness Shamanic rituals in which sacona, a powerful hallucinogen, is consumed.

The Cazajo are the nomads found in the Altai Mountains, on the border of Kazakhstan. They are expert falconers; and they continue to hunt with their eagles as they did in time immemorial. They live in comfortable yurtas, circular homes covered with felt, which protect them from the extreme cold of the winter. Our crew filmed the wolf hunts.

The Ando travel through Tiber with their herds of sheep. In the distance they appear at the foot of the mountains like slow moving snowflakes. They are true mountain shepherds who defy the abysses to feed their herds.

In the south of Niger, we met the mysterious Bororo. A Fulani group coexists with the Tuareg people since yesteryear. They practice an extreme worship of beauty. In their Worso festival, the men get overly spruced up in order to surprise the women. Their eyes and teeth are shiny white. Their gestures and facial expressions accentuate their fine delicate features.

Versions

Spanish, English

Genre

Anthropology

Length

4 x 52

Type

Series

Format

Production

Explora Films & Render Area

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