Original subtitles

(eerie theme music)

NARRATOR: The journey to our mysterious place leads us to India,

to the capital of the kite fighters.

- Yeah!

NARRATOR: In January, the Indians celebrate the end of winter

with a kite festival and send millions of these paper planes

into air combat all at the same time.

Essential rules: every man for himself

and cut loose as many opposing kites as possible in flight.

Good piloting skills and razor sharp kite strings are decisive.

- Now, I've got the power!

NARRATOR: The air combat brings much fame and glory

or bloody fingers.

Ahmedabad in Northern India,

where nearly everyone participates in the air combat.

- Hey, people. My name is Yash Desahi

and today I'm going to show you how to fly and fight kites.

Welcome to India!

NARRATOR: 19-year-old Yash is a student.

He is said to be the best kite fighter in the quarter.

Tomorrow he wants to try and outnumber his own record

of 20 cut off kites.

For this reason, he visits the greatest kite market,

because, apart from his superior kite flying skills,

he also needs the best material.

During the first weeks of January, whole streets of houses

turn into improvised kite factories.

Many residents turn their ground floors into small shops

for these coloured flying objects.

They all want to participate financially in the hype.

About 60 million Euros of turnover are generated

within just a few days by selling kites and kite equipment.

Most kites last just a couple of flights.

Yash intends to buy fresh flying apparatus at his trusted dealer.

The coloured paper kites are called Patang.

They look harmless, but are very effective in air combat.

NARRATOR: Now, Yash needs the optimal string.

He'll find it in a courtyard just around the corner.

A famous string-maker from the neighbouring province

has set up shop to make some real money here,

because without a proper string,

the Patna's are just toothless tigers.

To make the cord razor sharp,

workers apply a homemade paste to it.

Finely pulverised glass splinters are mixed with rice paste.

Pink pigment and soap slime are added to keep the mixture flexible.

NARRATOR: Only experienced string-makers are allowed to apply

the splinter-paste onto the cords.

It becomes dangerously sharp as soon as it dries.

Customers like Yash carefully make sure that their string

is evenly coated from all sides.

200 metres of the finest quality costs four Euros.

Mass produced strings from China are much cheaper,

but significantly inferior in air combat.

NARRATOR: Even though the festival starts tomorrow

there are some kites up in the air already.

Hemil just can't wait.

The 14-year-old comes from school at lunchtime and looks for opponents.

He is considered to be the best kite fighter in his class

and wants to stay the best, too.

Hemil's family lives, quite typically,

in a house with a roof terrace. But on his way up,

he has to cross paths with his mother.

NARRATOR: There is no sense in arguing.

It's still his mum who makes the rules.

Well, one small exception to the rule.

Hemil is allowed to show us his collection

of fighter kites before lunch.

NARRATOR: One floor down, his mother has changed her tune.

NARRATOR: In the province of Gujarat,

which is famous for its refined taste,

special dishes are served during the week of the kite festival.

More and more people with their kites

show up on the terraces in late afternoon,

a sort of public warm-up for tomorrow's great day of battle.

Hemil also wants to practice today,

and is hoping for some advice from a very special neighbour.

60-year-old Arvind is a living kite fighter legend.

He shows Hemil how to best bridle the kite.

In order to find the ideal balance, the strings must be attached

at the exact right places.

This is the decisive factor when it comes to steering the kite.

NARRATOR: Not at all easy, but Hemil concentrates much better

than when he is doing his homework.

NARRATOR: And then they finally go up to the roof

for the practical part.

On the evening before the kite festival,

many Indians test their abilities.

The only rule: everyone challenges everybody else,

from roof terrace to roof terrace!

As soon as two kites meet, the battle begins.

Both opponents try to hit the others' string.

It's a question of timing, wind

and the smallest steering manoeuvre.

Whoever finds a better angle

and hits the opponent's string with more speed, wins.

NARRATOR: The kite fighters do not worry

about the sharp strings taking their toll.

Gloves would only be in the way of a good flight feeling.

NARRATOR: Yash's roof is just about 200 metres from Hemil's roof.

He, too, is practicing flying his kite in the sunset.

Is it a common means in India to impress the girls?

NARRATOR: Yash's older sister, Urvashi,

is one of the few female kite fighters.

NARRATOR: Urvashi gives her all for kite fighting.

For her, it's a distraction from work and sport at the same time.

NARRATOR: Urvashi and Yash fly their kites until darkness.

Tomorrow is the great kite festival and both want to take down

from the sky as many Patangs as possible.

The party already starts at night-time.

Anyone who hasn't had the time for kite shopping yet,

sets off now to secure the last flying objects.

Thousands of people turn the sale into a fair

without even a drop of alcohol.

Alcohol is forbidden throughout the province.

Yash and Urvashi are also looking for last shopping items.

You can never have enough fresh supplies at the kite festival.

NARRATOR: The stands close as late as 3 AM in the morning.

The people are left with little sleep before they have to climb up

on the roofs to join the air combat.

The next morning, Urvashi goes for a fast ride around town.

Her first stop, a small restaurant where they serve

the traditional kite festival sweets, the jalebi.

First they are nicely fried in grease,

and then dipped into sugar syrup, as sweet as it gets.

Jalebis are part of the kite festival

like the Christmas turkey is for us.

Urvashi's next stop is for safety reasons.

All across the city, there are loose kites flying around.

Their cut-off cords turn into a trap for the cyclists.

NARRATOR: There is only one remedy: these safety wires.

During the kite festival day, labourers sell these wire straps

for 50 cents a piece.

A life-saving investment, but in spite of the wires,

several people do get injured every year.

The birds run an even higher risk on this festive day.

They are startled by the kites

and then get caught up in the razor sharp cords.

A bird rescue centre takes care of the victims.

Injured pigeons, birds of prey and crows arrive by the minute.

Volunteers pick up the birds all across the city

and bring them to the emergency centre by moped.

The student, Mounami, helps every year.

NARRATOR: The bird savers save more than 5,000 birds

at every kite festival.

Mounami recovers a bird of prey. They are hurt most often,

because they try to chase the intruders away.

The bird rescue is funded by well-off Indian animal lovers.

The bird rescuers have little sympathy for the kite festival.

NARRATOR: At lunchtime, the streets of Ahmedabad are quieter

than on any other day of the year.

But on the roof-decks, there is a lively hustle and bustle.

The 14th of January is a public holiday in the province of Gujarat.

Traditionally, people here celebrate it with a kite battle.

In the early afternoon, Hemil is already in a party mood.

He's achieved his goal and has taken down 15 kites from the sky!

Even though he won't receive a prize,

it won't take long for the word to spread around the neighbourhood.

NARRATOR: On the roof of Yash´ s and Urvashi's house,

the kite party with friends and family is in full swing.

NARRATOR: The sky looks like it's raining confetti,

but these coloured spots are thousands of kites!

NARRATOR: Now, everything depends on the wind,

and how alert Yash remains.

Not an easy challenge with the general party mood around him!

- Yeah!

NARRATOR: There are no official certificates,

but being successful earns you recognition

from the neighbouring roofs.

Urvashi's mother serves the guests

traditional snacks the whole day long.

Yash is still fully focused on the battle,

but after two hours, he runs out of luck.

- Freak, man! Arrgh!

I lost it.

NARRATOR: He can't break his own record this time.

The wind was too weak and came from the wrong direction.

NARRATOR: But, an Indian kite fighter doesn't let it get him down.

A quick photo of his sister and himself...

and the kite festival comes to a romantic end.

- It was awesome. - Fantastic, man! I enjoyed it.

NARRATOR: Hundreds of thousands of lanterns replace the Patangs

in the sky, but exactly one year from now,

the kites will return.

one of the most famous photographers in the country.

She is very passionate about abandoned places,

and there are plenty of them in Zimbabwe.

In fact, this South African country was relatively wealthy

until the 1990's.

A popular tourist destination.

But then, the government descended into a dictatorship

and the economy was mismanaged.

Today, the 29-year-old photographer

wants to explore one of the abandoned hotels

in the east of the country.

NIKKITA: We'll just see what's there.

I'm gonna try and find a caretaker or someone on the property.

Normally, these old properties, even if they're abandoned,

there will be someone living there,

that is getting paid just to make sure that no thieves come,

or anything like that.

NARRATOR: Apparently, the caretaker used to work in the hotel himself.

Nikkita hopes he will be able to provide her with some information.

- Hello - Hello. How are you.

- I'm Nikkita. - OK.

- What's you're name?

- Are you the caretaker? - Yes. Yes.

- So, do you mind showing us around? Maybe we can take a few pictures?

- It's no problem. Yes. - OK.

NARRATOR: The hotel went bankrupt in the late 1990's.

That was when the government confiscated the farms

of white Zimbabweans.

The economy collapsed and the tourists stopped coming.

Brighton, the caretaker, really did use to work in the hotel

and he can still remember the times when it was full of tourists.

NIKKITA: What was this room used for?

NIKKITA: Oh, look. The dining room. BRIGHTON: Yes.

NARRATOR: Not much remains of the old glamour.

- Oh, I can see a pool down there. - Yeah, yeah. We put some water.

NARRATOR: Nikkita, the photographer of abandoned places,

is looking for appropriate shots.

- This was a stove?

And then what would happen? Everything would warm up?

- Pots all over. - Yes.

- I wonder what year this is from. Maybe 100 years ago.

NARRATOR: Right to the very end, the staff would cook

on the old stove from the colonial period.

It's an outstanding motif for the photographer of ruins.

Next, Brighton wants to show Nikkita the old hotel bar,

which had a certain notoriety.

It was popular not only with tourists

but also with the local farmers. But that's a long time ago.

The tourists and the farmers have all disappeared,

and the land is in ruins.

- Wow, look at these cassettes!

I feel like I've just walked into 1975.

NARRATOR: And this isn't all that Nikkita finds.

- Ah, receipts!

1,250,000 dollars only.

This is back when we had our Zim dollars.

Three Lions for 16,500,000. That's a beer.

NARRATOR: Today, Zimbabwe has abandoned its own currency

and uses US dollars instead.

In the hotel's winter garden, a surprise awaits the photographer.

- I think it's good to see a space

you know, even if it's abandoned from what it used to be,

at least it's being utilised for something, right?

NARRATOR: Now that the big farms are lying fallow,

many people have been forced to grow maize themselves.

The janitor, Brighton, uses the old hotel garden for this purpose.

Nikkita decides to take a photograph from the outside.

NIKKITA: Having people with the derelict buildings is a dream.

I mean, the buildings are beautiful, but I just feel like having...

a face in it just brings so much more character to the picture.

NARRATOR: Our next destination is in Harare,

the capital of Zimbabwe.

NIKKITA: So, I heard there is an abandoned factory that use to make

matches and razor blades.

So, we're going to see if we can find it.

I have basic directions, but I'm not exactly sure where it is.

NARRATOR: The factory is in the industrial region of Harare.

The photographer gets into the abandoned building

and finds the remains of the old factory.

NIKKITA: It actually kind of looks like some of this building has...

been burnt down,

which is possibly why they closed it in the first place.

But I really want to go an check out what else is around.

NARRATOR: When Nikkita has resolved to get into an abandoned place,

it would take more than a locked factory gate to stop her.

- Wow. Look at these old computers.

God, those are ancient.

NARRATOR: Nikkita makes discoveries everywhere.

- It's amazing. It's literally like people jut left work

and nothing's been cleaned up.

NARRATOR: There are still warning signs

for workers who vanished years ago.

NIKKITA: Guys, I think I found something cool.

NARRATOR: The photographer is fascinated by an old laboratory.

There are still bottles here full of chemicals,

all covered with a thick layer of dust.

Everything looks as though the employees

simply stopped coming to work one day.

- Oh, wow. This is amazing.

NARRATOR: The photographer hopes to capture the special atmosphere

of the old factory.

- I really want to get a picture of...

the factory from up there. So, hopefully it's safe.

I'm going to try and get up here.

NARRATOR: Abandoned buildings, ruins, bankrupt companies,

there are plenty of them in Zimbabwe.

No doubt Nikkita's book with photographs of abandoned places

will soon be full to the brim.

NARRATOR: Chennai, India. 8.5 million inhabitants.

Here, you find the largest fruit and vegetable market in the world.

As large as eleven soccer-fields!

150 tons of fruit and vegetable are on sale here daily.

Among them, the largest fruit in the world.

3,000 merchants with 40,000 employees.

A market as big as a village.

With its own police...

and its own elected mayor.

A mega-market that never sleeps. But how does it work?

(alarm rings) 3 AM, 25 degrees Celsius,

and rush-hour in the city has already started.

Right in the middle of it, truck driver Malik.

He's in a hurry.

NARRATOR: What Malik tries to do is the exact same thing

that 400 other truck drivers intend to do: unload.

The problem: there are no marked parking zones.

People unload wherever it's possible.

To regain some control over this chaos,

the market officials close the gates as early as 4 AM.

NARRATOR: Malik is lucky and manages to get one of the last

free parking spaces. No time to loose now.

Five tons of spinach must arrive at the dealers as quickly as possible.

Step number two: the bicycle rickshaws.

They carry the spinach to the wholesale dealer

or directly to the stands.

This is how 150 tons of fruit and vegetables

are delivered here every day.

(alarm rings) 5 AM. Temperatures are rising.

The peak period in the vegetable quarter.

Vegetable dealer, GDR, has been up for three hours already,

and his working day is actually just starting.

He must sell the products he has just received

as quickly as possible,

because there are no cool storing places on the Koyambedu.

NARRATOR: A race against time and against the increasing heat.

That's why the Koyambedu is considered to be

the toughest market in the world.

The sacks change owners by the minute now.

The dealers are trying to undersell the competitors with loud roaring.

GDR is one of the fastest and most successful wholesale dealers here.

That's why the dealers elected him as market mayor.

Mr Palani is a true Koyambedu doyen.

He works as a quality manager for the banana cooperative.

But today it's not about bananas, it's about banana leftovers.

India produces an annual amount of 30 million tons of bananas,

almost exclusively for the domestic market.

And people make money even with the leftovers of the plant.

This morning, Mr Palani has an appointment with a dealer

who specialises in selling the leaves.

NARRATOR: Because these leaves are used as disposable plates

in restaurants and coffee shops.

Especially handy, they are compostable

and therefore eco-friendly.

More than 3,000 dealers and 40,000 people work at the market

and that often creates conflicts.

That's why the market has its own police force.

At 6 AM it's scorching hot already.

Captain Rahman holds his daily briefing.

NARRATOR: 12 men for 119 hectares!

Shortly before 7 AM, rush hour at the Koyambedu,

the vendors and the collecting customers are in the market

at the same time.

A complete traffic chaos.

Captain Rahman and his squad are trying to restore order.

NARRATOR: Most of the goods go straight to the shops

and restaurant owners. But there are also market halls,

in which everyone is allowed to shop.

The goods are mostly cheaper and fresher than in the supermarket.

If you want special deals at the market, you have to get up early.

Mr Palani is still on his way.

At 8 o'clock, the stands are thinning out,

but all of a sudden, new visitors arrive in the market.

NARRATOR: The Koyambedu is just under a kilometre long.

For long trips like this one, he uses his motorcycle.

He is allowed to drive it through the market halls.

In India, people use muscle power to transport the goods.

20,000 carriers serve as the market's lifeline.

Without them, the goods in the stands would rot.

Aguguru is one of them.

The 19-year-old has been working here for two years.

(alarm rings) He's been up since 7 AM.

His last job of the day: unload at a sage wholesale dealer.

Carrying almost 80 kilos for just one Euro a day,

he works where ever he is needed.

NARRATOR: Most workers actually live on the market.

They sleep wherever they find a spot.

That's why the market includes many snack bars, a hairdresser,

and various shops for everyday needs.

With over 40,000 workers here,

there are disputes on a regular basis.

It's the reason for Mayor GDR's appointment

with the spokesman of the carriers.

A few drunk workers went on the rampage last night.

NARRATOR: At 10 o'clock, the market closes.

It's time to settle the accounts.

The customer's couriers go over to the wholesale dealers

and pay yesterday's goods.

For Mr Palani's friend, Sarim Reem, it's the best part of the day.

NARRATOR: 3,000 dealers make a turnover of 3 billion Rupees,

which are 4 million Euro.

All transactions are paid in cash.

These sums attract many people,

but it's difficult to set up shop without a market concession.

Many stands are family enterprises, and have been for many generations.

Up to 40 tons of fruit every day are left unsold.

They either end up on the waste dump or on the black market.

Everywhere between the market halls and the stands,

the illegal fruit business is booming now.

That's why raids against the marketeers

are part of Captain Rahman's daily tasks.

NARRATOR: But his actions aren't very successful.

Often, the marketeers open up shop somewhere else after half an hour.

At midnight, Mr Palani calls it a day.

But, he still has one more appointment.

NARRATOR: To keep it that way, he bought himself a golden ring

for each Indian deity.

And, as is proper for a man in his profession,

he has to sacrifice fruit, too.

So, Mr Palani and his colleagues may successfully continue their business

on the greatest fruit and vegetable market in the world.

In China, whenever Wei Yien and Jin Ben Fa

cuddle in public, they attract attention

because many people think they are children.

But he is 25 and she is 26.

Since at least when he asked her to marry him in a Chinese talent show,

they are the most famous people of short stature in China.

She is 4.2 ft. He is 4.4 ft.

NARRATOR: Belittlement and prejudices.

That's what they have to face each and every day. But they are adults!

But, small as children and with high voices.

Nevertheless, hiding at home is not an option for the couple.

NARRATOR: Even if things in China are subject to change,

loners and people who stand out from the masses are frowned upon.

That's why Jin Ben Fa has created a space

especially for people of short stature.

He founded a soccer team. Average age: 25 years.

Average height: 4.4 ft.

No one here thinks they are children.

It's easier to play with like-minded people.

The team wants to show us what life is like in China

for people of short stature.

25-year-old Jin Ben Fa will get the ball rolling.

He's captain of the soccer team.

We accompany him in his everyday life.

Life isn't easy for him.

There are many things to which the couple is denied access.

Wei Yien can only marvel at the latest fashion trends

in the shop windows.

NARRATOR: There is only one way for them to find fitting clothes.

In the children's department.

Often, the two have to search for hours

to discover only half-decent clothes.

NARRATOR: Everyday clothes are hard to find for them.

But there are chic dresses in the girl's department.

Today, Wei Yien has finally found a dress for the upcoming wedding.

NARRATOR: Today's shopping turned out to be a success.

Now, we accompany Wang Wen Bin.

Nicknamed Bin Bin, the 22-year-old has just recently moved to Beijing.

People of short stature have great difficulties

finding a suitable apartment.

That's why Bin Bin moves in with his team mates.

NARRATOR: It's a completely new start for 22-year-old Bin Bin.

He worked as a kindergarten teacher before,

but he quit the job.

NARRATOR: The room is far from being clean.

Bin Bin pays 100 Euros a month. There is no privacy.

He shares the place with ten of his colleagues.

Nevertheless, this place is a refuge for people of short stature,

They are not considered different here.

We aren't supposed to film the bathroom.

The conditions here are poor, but Bin Bin will accept them

because he shares an apartment with people who are like him.

He has also found a job.

The people of short stature run a theatre

where they stage classical Chinese shadow puppetry,

an ancient art.

Bin Bin feels honoured to be given the chance

to learn how it all works.

Here, behind the stage, the people of short stature are stars.

Today, his training begins. It will take half a year.

The former kindergarten teacher is happy with his new job.

NARRATOR: Wang Yon Yue is 23-years-old and 4.5 ft.

His greatest wish is to finally find a girlfriend.

And that's today's mission.

Because people of short stature look like kids,

they are treated that way their whole lives.

NARRATOR: Yon Yue faces many challenges in everyday life.

For example, he can't just buy cigarettes, even if he is an adult.

NARRATOR: Yue Yue would also love to be able to drive.

He dreams of owning a car.

But not only the cost is in the way.

NARRATOR: Yue Yue's dream will probably never come true

with his monthly wage of only 250 Euros.

He has to take the subway.

In Beijing, the subway is always crowded.

Four million people take it every day.

NARRATOR: At least he might not have to take it all on his own soon.

Xiao Li is the perfect woman for the job

when it comes to people of small stature.

She finds jobs for them and is also good at pairing them off.

Today she wants to find a woman for Yue Yue.

NARRATOR: What makes it even more difficult

is that Yue Yue is quite picky.

NARRATOR: She has to be athletic and about his size.

In the end, they do make a score.

NARRATOR: Yue Yue chooses a lady whom he'd like to meet.

NARRATOR: Jin Ben Fa and Wei Yan have already found one another.

They also live in the shared community

of the people of small stature.

NARRATOR: In the shared apartment, they have to sleep separately,

because there are no single rooms.

But Wei Yan is happy anyway.

NARRATOR: Her husband feels at home in the shared apartment, too.

His parents couldn't cope with his restricted growth.

NARRATOR: In the shared apartment, none of that is a problem.

The only thing he does see as a problem is the sleeping apart.

There is no privacy here at all.

In order to be by themselves, they only have one option.

NARRATOR: They dream of moving into their own apartment.

A few months later, we meet the group once more

in a public swimming pool in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Yue Yue has gone out on his third date with LI Xiao Feng,

the woman from the lonely hearts advertisement.

They seem to get along well.

NARRATOR: Yue Yue and his friends hang in there.

In the meantime, Bin Bin has settled in and has found new friends.

He is a permanent team member now.

In the shared apartment for people of small stature,

they have found a place where they can be themselves,

even if the rest of the Chinese society

finds them rather mysterious.

Subtitles by Sky Access Services