However, the most famous sequence in this episode is the – the practice of "horse-hunting" in Mongolia. Children as young as five ride wild stallions. The camera captures a 10-year-old boy who falls off a horse at full gallop, gets dragged, gets back on, and wins the race. In America, this is child abuse. In Mongolia, it is Tuesday.
We also see the "wolf hunters" of Kyrgyzstan. They fight eagles against wolves. The violence is raw, but the intimacy between man and bird is undeniable. Rivers give life, but they also take it. Episode 7 of HUMAN PLANET COMPLETE-Episodes 1-8 is the most dangerous episode to film. We start in Brazil where the Kayapo tribe believes a photograph steals their soul. They eventually allow filming of their pygmy peccary hunt. Then, we move to the Mekong River where a fisherman rides a waterfall using only a rope to catch spawning carp.
One hunter tracks a Kudu (a large antelope) for four hours in 40°C heat, using only a drop of water in his mouth to keep moist. He eventually runs the animal to exhaustion. The narrator, John Hurt, notes dryly: "In the desert, man is not the fastest, but he is the most stubborn." HUMAN PLANET COMPLETE-Episodes 1-8
This episode fundamentally changes how Western viewers understand "cold." It is not an enemy; it is a resource. Many viewers consider Episode 4 the most visually lush of the HUMAN PLANET COMPLETE-Episodes 1-8 . The jungle teems with life, but it also teems with danger. We travel to Brazil, Venezuela, and Indonesia. The opening sequence features the Matis tribe using a psychoactive frog poison to "cleanse" their bodies—a shocking but fascinating ritual.
The emotional core of this episode is the in Brazil. Laguna fishermen wait for wild dolphins to herd mullet toward the shore. The dolphins signal (by slapping their tails) when to cast the nets. Humans and dolphins have been cooperating like this for generations. It is the only known symbiotic fishing relationship in the world. However, the most famous sequence in this episode
The episode ends with the Dogon people of Mali climbing a sheer cliff face to collect pigeon nests. One slip means death. This is not extreme sports; this is grocery shopping. As we move north in the HUMAN PLANET COMPLETE-Episodes 1-8 , Episode 3 reminds us that heat is not the only killer. The Arctic is a land of negative 40 degrees. Here, we meet the Inuit. The highlight of this episode is not the polar bear hunt (though that is terrifying) but the construction of a qamutiik —a sled of frozen salmon.
The message: The jungle provides everything—food, medicine, shelter—if you know how to listen. Altitude sickness kills tourists; altitude is a home address for the people in Episode 5 of the HUMAN PLANET COMPLETE-Episodes 1-8 . We climb the Himalayas and the Andes. The standout segment involves the gold-mining ritual of the Quechua people in Peru. On a glacier at 5,000 meters, they chip ice and "fight" with stones to appease the mountain spirit. It looks violent, but it is a 500-year-old tradition. In America, this is child abuse
From the shark callers of Papua to the eagle hunters of Mongolia, this series is a reminder that we are not separate from nature. We are nature. Whether you are a teacher, a survivalist, or just someone who loves stunning cinematography, buying or streaming the complete box set is an investment in awe.