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Life on the Earth

  • Running time 60 min
  • Director Choi Sam-kyu, Park Sang-hwan
  • Writer -
  • Episode 4 Eps

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Synopsis

Conclusion to [Tears of the Earth] Series!
Human civilizations have thrived in all corners of the planet.






Prologue [Humans Living in Nature]
On the earth we are living in, temperatures drop to 50°C below zero in some parts, while it hovers over 50°C in others.
Humans still live in those places which seem to be uninhabitable. Humans are spread around the world in greater numbers than any other animals, plants or microorganism. In some extreme habits, humans fight the elements, while in others people have found ways to adapt to their habitats. The survival methods of humans are brilliantly ingenious.
People inhabit the polar region and remote places on the earth. There are impressive stories of how humans have pushed to the limits to survive in these places. And it is in those places where primitive knowledge of survival still exists.



Episode 1 & 2 [Inupiat, The Whale Hunters]

“Iqlaliq. “
The Inupiat people say “Iqlaliq” to describe temperatures so cold that your flesh will freeze and drop off your face. Iqlaliq-like temperature dropping to 40℃ below zero ravages Alaska’s wilderness for nine months of the year. In the midwinter, the days are without the sun. Kaktovik is a small village situated on the northernmost area of Alaska. About 200 Inupiats live here withstanding the extreme cold. The Inupiats have adapted to the cold environment for over 10,000 years. So how do they survive in these frozen lands?


Fierce battle between whales and the Inupiats in the sea
The bowhead whales that migrated to the polar region are 20 meters long and weigh 50 tons. Paddling a small boat, the Inupiats, the most skilled whale hunters of today, set off to catch whales for food to store them through the winter. Even after they succeed in catching a whale, they will frequently fail to haul it to the shore as the whale’s heavy mass will sink quickly under the sea. They only have one brief season to catch whales every year which is September. If they do not act quickly, the ocean will freeze, making it impossible to float a boat. Will they succeed in catching a whale this year?


Polar Bears, the conqueror of Alaska. The last record of their survival
The Inupiat people have to fight against polar bears to survive. There are creatures in Alaska that have inhabited the place longer than humans have. One such creature is the polar bear. The camera crew approached a polar bear as close to five meters to capture vivid footage.


The Inupiat people confronting the forces of change
The Inupiat culture is under onslaught from the modern civilization. Due to American policies that oppressed the Inupiat language, Inupiat children were forced to learn English at schools. There is a generation gap between younger English-speaking Inupiats and their older family members who speak only the Inupiat language. The people who speak only the Inupiat language in the villages are the elderly. What kind of future is waiting for the younger generation of the Inupiats?


The delicate struggle for survival between polar bears and the humans
Why do polar bears encroach on villages to threaten people? As global warming causes ice to melt in the polar caps, the polar bears are being forced to forage for food along the coastlines. The bears also linger around villages during the whale hunting season, whereupon they break vehicles and eat leftover food from trash. On some occasions, they even break into homes, posing a threat to human life. The frequent bear attacks have caused tensions between people and these endangered animals.



Episode 3 & 4 [San and Himba Peoples of Namibia - Last Primitive Desert People]

Namibia Desert, the most beautiful but an extreme place on the earth
The Namib Desert in Namibia is regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the earth. But it is also one of the driest deserts with an extreme environment. Any moisture or water instantly evaporates in this desert. There is no sign of vegetation anywhere and the harsh ecosystem poses a challenge to the desert creatures.

Himba people, the Red Jewel of Africa
Opuwo is located in the northwestern region of Namibia. In a small store in downtown Opuwo red-colored women wearing skirts made of animal skin are shopping. They are Himba women and do not cover their breasts. Though most women would be embarrassed to reveal their bosoms, they show no signs of being ashamed. Himba women are proud of the ochre paint they cover themselves with. As water is scarce and precious, they never bathe but instead paint themselves with a mixture of ochre and cream milk. Their passion is as intense as their red skin.

Cow, a Partner in Survival
Livestock is another name for survival among the Himba people.
The Himba People learn how to herd cattle and goats at a young age. Their lives are inextricably linked to cows. They mix fermented cow milk with corn gruel to make their staple food. The Himba make traditional skirts out of leather. During the dry season when food is scarce, they hold various festivals. They slaughter cows to supplement their diet. Upon slaughtering a cow, the village chief will tell the village’s fortune by inspecting the cow’s insides. Cows are a symbol of wealth and necessary for their survival.

San People, Hunters of Sorrow
The San people are known as bushman. They hide in the grass when hunting and use blowguns to bring down prey with poisonous darts. But hunting is not easy. The Namibian government has designated most of the San’s ancestral hunting grounds as park areas, and thus, forbidding hunting. Anyone caught hunting in the parks are punishable by law. The San people are besieged hunters who are unable to hunt.

San People, Becoming Actors
The San people are visited by tourists from around the world. Unable to hunt anymore, the San People decided to become actors to survive. Wearing their traditional attire in a contrived village, they give mock hunting performances for tourists. But nearby villages compete for tourist dollars too and despite the competition, the village gives as many as three shows a week during the peak tourist season. From old people to young children, the entire village of 40 people will put on a show but only receive small compensation for their efforts.