Anthropologist Dr. Niobe Thompson journeys around the world to reveal the
mysteries of our survival
How did humans overcome near
extinction in an African super-drought and find a place to rebuild? How did we master
the Arctic and cross the oceans to populate every corner of the planet? When
and how did the Homo sapiens emerge as the world's only global species?
Unlock the mysteries of our very
existence as anthropologist Dr. Niobe Thompson reveals groundbreaking
scientific research and traces the footsteps of our human ancestors across five
continents – including the tip of the Philippine archipelago, Tawi-Tawi – on THE
GREAT HUMAN ODYSSEY, premiering August
2, airing Sundays at 8 p.m.
Throughout the three-part series,
Dr. Thompson provides a never-before-seen glimpse into our species’ past through
expeditions to some of the world’s most remote cultures. With the Philippines
being the only area left with an intact freediving
culture, the crew of The Great Human Odyssey was motivated to visit the Badjao
- the master hunters of the sea floor and the world’s last traditional divers.
Dr. Thompson met with 63-year-old Santarawi, one of the last great
Badjao divers with the amazing ability for breath-hold diving, able to endure up
to five minutes under water. As filming took place on Santarawi’s war-torn
homeland of Tawi-Tawi, safety was of prime importance. On top of the protection
provided by the Philippine Marines, Santarawi assured the crew both of
protection and friendship. “It took us almost a year of work with partners from
the Philippines before we felt that we could work safely on the ground. Seeing
the film’s success made us so happy that we went there. The Philippines is my favorite location
amongst all in this film,” Dr. Thompson shared.
Apart from the Badjaos, The
Great Human Odyssey features the Crocodile People of Papua New Guinea, Bushmen
of the Kalahari, and the reindeer-herders of the Russian Artic. From surviving
the Ice Age to the meeting of Neanderthals and modern humans; the birth of
language and art; and how our ancestors found a way through the deserts out of
Africa - The Great Human Odyssey will take us four million years back in time
to reveal the frailty of human life and the miracle of our adaptable,
imaginative, and curious nature.
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