The Film
"The island of Socotra lies in the Arabian Sea. Until recently, its ancient beliefs and lifestyles had remained unchanged for centuries, hidden from the eyes of the world."
Logline
The ancient beliefs and customs of the remote island of Socotra went unchanged for centuries, hidden from the eyes of the wider world. Yet now, in the face of global change, its people have the chance to redefine and improve their lives. This is the story of how Socotra is emerging from its isolation.Synopsis
SOCOTRA: THE HIDDEN LAND is the story of an extraordinary lost land, whose ancient beliefs and lifestyles remained unchanged for centuries, hidden from the eyes of the world. Every step you take on Socotra is a discovery. To move through its coastal areas and unique landscapes, is to cross a frontier in time, on an amazing journey that can be made only once, as the experience the next time will be quite different.The viewer is taken on one such journey, revealing the beauty and the striking strangeness of the island, showing the physical reality of Socotra and how it has shaped the islanders’ lives over the centuries.
The inhabitants have always lived virtually isolated from modern society, and have subsisted with very few resources, but they have great spiritual and cultural wealth.
The documentary is a reflection of the life and customs of this isolated society, told by some of the most remarkable characters on the island, who use their own words, and their own traditional tales, beliefs and ways of life, to tell us about their spirit, their future and their daily struggle to preserve their traditions in the face of globalization.