gentetip

The heart of the Indo-Pacific region, the Sulu sea, separates the north-ern coast of Borneo and the west coast of the Philippines. The coasts of the relatively small ocean, are home to inhabitants with a colourful culture and abundant animal life invites nature lovers for a visit. The island of Omadal is home of the Bajau. This nomadic tribe lives on wooden vessels or ashore in pile-dwellings. Harvesting seaweed generates them the money that is needed to buy all other goods on the market.
The underwater world of the Sulu sea is dominated by intact colourful reefs. Beautiful coloured mantis shrimps hunt with spears or their legs. Harlequin prawns always hold a starfish in standby to eat of. The Mimic Oktopus, a squid, camouflages himself as a flounder or as a starfish. Only rarely will he be seen in his real shape, as an octopus.

The National territory of the Philippines covers 7000 islands, build from volcanic activities. The Mt. Pinatobo was considered to be extinct. But it just was dormant. When he woke up in 1991, the most powerful eruption of the 20th Century buried whole areas underneath his volcanic ashes. At the last location of this journey the camera crew got goose-flesh thanks to a very special tradition of the Ibanoi people on the island of Luzon. The team was allowed to film how these natives mummify those who passed away and bury them in tiny wood coffins.

Over 1.3 billion people live in China and they travel with large speed into the future. No other country in the world develops so dynamically into a complete industrial nation. But the modern society also preserves her traditions which still shows traces of the influences from western civilizations.

The documentary leads to the south of China to Macao as well as to the provinces Hunan, Guizhou and Sichuan. The landscapes in these regions of China are overwhelming. They reach from the national forest park Zhangjiajie, the Yellowstone park of China with its bizarre rock towers, up to the Karst mountains of the park of the seven stars. The authorities permitted with an unexpected frankness to film the everyday life of the Chinese and to participate in spectacular culture events. Also the team was allowed to have a critical glance at such out- dated habits like the manufacture of products from shark fins for men who still believe that using them will improve their sexual power.

Picturesque houses in Fenghuang impress as well as the highest stone made Buddha statue in the world. Highlight is the visit of a Panda Bear Sanctuary which successfully practices a breeding programme to save the species from extinction.