All language subtitles for M.P.S01E11.1080p.WEB.h264-BAWD_track3_[eng]

(tense music)

(music ends)

NARRATOR:
Today we start off on Nauru,

the smallest republic in the world.

The tiny island was once
the richest country in the world.

On an average the highest number of
overweight people live here.

It definitely is the craziest
island in the world.

Do you want proof, the sports field
is actually an airfield.

You don't believe it?

We'll take you to the tiny island
in the middle of the South-Seas.

Landing is a true challenge
for every pilot -

the runway is just
2 kilometres short.

We count ourselves lucky to have
been granted the clearance to land,

because normally the runway
serves other purposes.

People are practicing sports here.

The runway is the only sports field
on the entire island.

That's why the islanders use it
as a walking track.

Sporting ace Adam does his
laps here every evening.

NARRATOR: The runway is a sports
field only while no airplanes

are approaching, though.

NARRATOR:
The practical side to the island,

An airplane is due
only 3 times a week.

But that's when something
is going on here.

The main road is blocked off,

because the plane has to cross it
in order to arrive

at the international airport.

You don't think that's crazy enough?

What about this?

The country is so tiny, it takes
only 15 minutes to drive around it.

We do the test and, in fact,
the country is so tiny,

a whole round trip takes you just
over 15 minutes.

And that's just because you are not
allowed to drive any faster

than 40 km/h on the entire island.

The great advantage - not a single
traffic light on the whole island

interferes with the traffic.

That's why the islanders are
passionate car drivers.

On a monthly average,
every inhabitant drives,

hold on tight to your seat,
an incredible 6000 kilometres.

That's 10 times around
the entire island every day.

It's all just leisure activity,

the islanders simply love
cruising around.

One of them is Jali Beaden.

He takes us along
on his nightly cruise.

But why does everyone keep
driving in circles here?

(speaking foreign language)

NARRATOR: And because everyone is
driving around in circles

all the time,
you even have traffic jams.

This tiny island has
a traffic problem.

By the way,
everyone has the right of way!

There are no annoying
sobriety checks.

Still not crazy enough?
Well, check this out.

This tiny country used to be
the richest country in the world.

Wealth, we had a somewhat different
expectation,

it doesn't seem that way at all
any more.

The houses on the island are shabby
and the cars are, well,

not really fit for traffic.

But this small country really
used to be

the richest country in the world.

To prove the point, rusted luxury
limos at the side of the road

wherever you look.
They are literally everywhere.

This is how they ended up here -

if a car broke down 40 years ago,
it would not be repaired.

The people living here were so
rich they would just leave it there

and buy a new one.

People could afford not
holding on to coins.

Most people just threw them away.

NARRATOR: That has changed.

But why was the island
so fabulously rich?

The reason - the soil of the island.

It looks normal,
but in truth it's a phosphate,

the purest in the whole world.

A valuable raw material, which is
used for manuring

among other things.
Most of it has been mined.

The remains will probably last
for another 20 years.

The crazy thing about it -
today the country is bankrupt.

The government has wasted billions
of dollars, there is nothing left.

The island lies in the South Seas.

But there are hardly any tourists.

Hard to believe since the South Seas
stand for idyllic beaches,

great weather and lots of sun!

A true tourist paradise,
above and under water.

But getting here is expensive
and there are just 2 hotels.

They are, well, a bit out of date
like this one here.

Even though you pay more than
$100 per room and night.

We take a closer look and realise,

great hotels would definitely
not be a reason for coming here.

At least the picture on the wall
evokes emotions of the South Seas.

Hygiene does not play
a key role here,

which results in bad ratings
for the hotels.

Wherever we look we run into
the reminders of long gone guests.

And most of the time
the water has gone, too.

And all of this at the price
of a four star hotel.

That's why only few tourists
come here.

But do the beaches make up for it?
Rather not.

There are no tourists here,
but a lot of rubbish.

A paradise looks different.

Sight-seeing trips to the island's
mainland aren't worthwhile.

Tropical beauty or palm tree forests
are nowhere to be found.

Everything is hollowed out by
the decade long digging

for phosphates and people have
just left it that way.

But we have found one of the
craziest hobbies of the world here.

(club music)

It takes, true men
and huge loudspeakers.

And tolerant neighbours!

This is the most important day of
the year for John and his friends.

They're off to a sound competition.

The self-built stereo is the pride
and joy of the neighbourhood

and has been especially tuned
for the competition.

But what makes you pursue
a hobby like that?

(club music continues)

NARRATOR: After two long hours
the boss is finally happy

and the stereo is dismounted.

The purpose of his soundcheck?
We have no idea.

In any case the team prepares for
a memory shot,

afterwards they're off
at a snail's pace.

Our running camera team causes
friendly mockery and laughter.

The trip to the location of
the competition is made

in the team's vehicle,

which has obviously been used for
many sound competitions.

We travel across half the country.

But since it is the smallest
republic in the world,

that's not such a big deal.

After only 10 minutes,
the team has arrived.

Nauru is definitely a crazy country.

The local women all play
bingo obsessively.

Hundreds of them hang out
in an old factory building,

in a very relaxed way.

The whole night through they compare
the numbers called out

to the ones on their sheets.

If they are identical,
prize money awaits them.

It's not that easy to win
the sound competition.

The opponents show up with
almost the same speakers,

but in more trendy colours.

There are no discotheques
on the craziest island in the world.

That's why the sound contest
is such a crowd puller.

But the people here don't dance to
the music,

they stand around and sit around.

The loudspeakers simultaneously
blast the competent audience

at full volume, while every
stereo plays a different tune.

(various club tracks)

After three hours, they're all done

and would in fact be ready
for the jury.

But the jury hasn't arrived yet.

So everyone just continues to sit
around and wait,

which by the way is
a speciality of this crazy island.

And then a power cut ends
the competition.

The decision is delayed
until next year.

If you have the impression there are
especially many overweight people

on this island, it's true.

There is no other place in the world
with more overweight people

than in Nauru.

The people aren't just a little more
corpulent here than in other places.

According to figures provided by
the WHO more than 70%

of the population is obese
and 90% are overweight.

Any clothes shop on the island
proves the point.

In this case the fashion outlet
also serves as a supermarket.

The largest size off the shelf is
an impressive sixfold XL.

We find trousers into which two
people could easily fit

anywhere else. And mind you,

these are standard sizes
on the island!

But why on earth are
all these people overweight?

We take a look at where
they buy their food.

The largest supermarket
on the island.

It is the most important supply
centre for the whole country

with its 10,000 inhabitants.

We want to know,
what is the locals' favourite food?

- One important line we have
is corned beef. And it's, er...

Nauruans like a lot of corned beef
as well in the canned lines.

We just got one variety
at the moment,

we're waiting for all
the other ones to still come in.

NARRATOR: There are mostly tins,
cans and non-perishable things.

The island is so remote,
it can only be supplied by ship.

That's why all the meat and
sausages are deep frozen.

Oh, yes, what you see here is
the fruit and vegetable department

of the island's largest supermarket.

Very sparing of supplies.

- As you can see there are gaps
there because we are waiting for

our chillers to be
offloaded from the ship.

A lot of the stuff doesn't even
have time to hit the shelf.

It just lands here, we open
the boxes and they're all gone.

NARRATOR: Vegetables are scarce
goods on the island.

One reason - the container ships
which supply the country with food

have to take the far route from
Asia across the Pacific Ocean

to arrive here.
It takes them weeks.

Fresh goods would turn bad
on the way.

But the island isn't self-sufficient
either. For a strange reason.

The inhabitants don't know
how to grow vegetables.

That's why foreign experts come
to the vegetable farm to teach them.

Back in the days
when the island was so very rich,

people had simply stopped
growing vegetables.

- I only heard from older people

that they used to grow before.

I never saw it,
I only heard about it.

NARRATOR: Everything forgotten,

that's why the hopes for vegetable
farming lie on the young students

of horticulture.

They attend special classes
on the vegetable farm.

The question is whether they really
want to become vegetable farmers

one day...

- No!

- To be honest,

it's going to take a long, long time
to see everything happen.

But at least we're trying.
If you don't try, you get nothing.

NARRATOR: The problem is,
no healthy diet without vegetables!

The sad result,
people here especially like this,

dry rice, canned meat and fried egg
- the national dish.

NARRATOR: And last but not least,
this strange island has one of

the craziest laws in the world.

It is connected to the islander's
favourite hobby, driving cars.

If a puddle comes into play,

the full rigor of the law strikes
mercilessly,

whoever drives through a puddle
and splashes someone,

goes to jail.
In bad cases for several hours.

Luckily there aren't
many pedestrians,

because everyone prefers driving
a car to walking.

From the craziest island
in the world,

we travel on to Zhongdong in China.

A very special village
in the middle of a cave

as large as an aircraft hangar.

16 wooden huts form a small village.

(speaking Chinese)

NARRATOR: This is Wang Heng's house.
He built it himself.

NARRATOR: Wang Heng lives here
together with his wife,

his three daughters
and his mother-in-law.

They sleep upstairs.

NARRATOR:
The cave village Zhongdong.

A total of 18 families,
almost 90 people live here,

far from any semblance of
civilisation.

The doors are always open.
There are no locks.

Food, clothing, electronic devices -
all is used in common.

(cock crows)

NARRATOR: Pigs, goats and chickens.

The inhabitants keep their own
animals for their survival.

Slaughtering and smoking,
they do all of that themselves.

They also grow vegetables.

Whatever is left over is sold on
the market in the city,

they live off these earnings.

(speaking Chinese)

NARRATOR: Thanks to the dripstones.

The water comes straight
from the mountains.

It's potable and very healthy
due to the minerals.

Sometimes during spring or fall it
even rains inside the caves

from the dripstones.

Wang Heng has to go
herd the cattle now.

NARRATOR: It truly is
an unusual place to live

for a seemingly ordinary
farming family.

To guide the huge herd
up the narrow mountain trails

is a special challenge
for Wang Heng.

NARRATOR: But how did this cave
village come into being?

NARRATOR: The traditional
lifestyle is carried on.

Wang Heng still has to collect
fire wood on his way back.

So the huts remain warm even in
winter time with temperatures

of 10 degrees below zero.

NARRATOR: The kids are spared from
this kind of work.

But they have to attend their own
cave school every day.

The teacher Wang Long has been
teaching here for 4 years.

He lives in the cave himself.

(speaking Chinese)

NARRATOR: Xiau Feng is an especially
keen student.

She has great plans for her future.

NARRATOR: When the school was built
inside the cave

the builders saved money
on the roof.

NARRATOR: In their spare time,
the kids enjoy painting the cave.

But life in a cave can
also be dangerous.

NARRATOR: The Damocles sword is
constantly hanging over them.

But it's not just the stones
that are dangerous.

The isolation also entails dangers.

NARRATOR: They make the best of it.

The cave boys love playing
basketball.

And sometimes when it rains other
inhabitants of other villages

come here to play "indoors".

The crazy thing about it, there has
been no need for the cave dwellers

to live here for a long time!

The government has especially built
proper houses for the poorer people

in the area. But nonetheless
Wang Heng does not want to move.

NARRATOR:
Dilapidated building structures.

And that's not all,
there is no water.

Being left high and dry?
Unimaginable for Wang Heng.

NARRATOR: And so the inhabitants
continue living the lifestyle

of their ancestors
in the 6th generation by now.

The cave dwellers intend to attract
more tourists in the future.

This is a limestone mine
in the middle of the desert.

The men that work here are working
on a tough but also important job.

Under extreme conditions,
the workers mine lime stone,

which is then processed into tiles,
medicine and building material

in other countries.

(speaking Arabic)

NARRATOR: We have an appointment
with Kyrillus.

He is foreman of one of
the 1500 mines in the region.

Together with his parents,
his wife, his two children,

his three brothers and their
families he lives in a small house.

He has a particular reason for
taking on this tough work every day.

(speaking Arabic)

NARRATOR: Kyrillus wants to be able
to send his kids to school.

Something that's not a matter
of course in Egypt.

Kyrillus invites us to spend a day
in the mine

with him and his colleagues.

We show up at the agreed
meeting point at 4.30 AM.

But in this complete chaos,
we can't spot Kyrillus anywhere.

We are loaded on board of a pick-up,
together with 20 workmen.

And there we find Kyrillus.

The workmen show a timid reaction
towards the camera at first.

Kyrillus is the only one who speaks
to us and shares an important

piece of advice.

NARRATOR: After half an hour of
a bumpy ride through the desert,

we see the first lights.

Is that the limestone mine already?

Kyrillus tells his men to hurry up.

Temperatures are supposed to reach
40 degrees today

and the day's work needs to be
done at all costs.

NARRATOR: We can't yet see a great
deal of the mine in the darkness.

Dispersed white dust makes it
difficult for us to breathe.

The deafening noise
roars in our ears.

But as the sun comes up, we see it -

a 10,000 sqm large limestone mine.

We are not allowed to enter by
ourselves - too dangerous.

NARRATOR: Carefully, Kyrillus leads
us down a steep stairway.

The further down we go, the more we
are blinded by the snow-white rocks.

Without sunglasses we wouldn't be
able to see anything at all.

A surreal setting like in
a science-fiction movie

looms before us.

These strangely clothed men mine
simple limestone here.

But the dangers lurking behind
the mining are immense.

Kyrillus leads us directly
to a danger zone.

(speaking Arabic)

NARRATOR:
Special caution is advised.

We are under no circumstances
allowed to touch anything.

Kyrillus shows us how to protect
ourselves from the sun,

with a scarf.

The scarf has a great advantage,

it protects us
from the extreme heat.

Temperatures of more than 45 degrees
are not uncommon in the mine.

We begin to realise what
Kyrillus warned us about.

Open power cables everywhere.

A merciless heat and biting dust,

which hurts in the lungs
with every breath you take.

If the mining is so dangerous,

why do the workers expose
themselves to these hazards?

There are two reasons for it,

first of all limestone has
a long tradition in Egypt.

The white blocks have been used as
building material for graves

and pyramids ever since
the first dynasty.

And secondly the work in the mines
in one of the best paid jobs

in the region.

But the mining is not just
dangerous,

it also demands utmost precision,

in spite of the machines,
which are hard to navigate.

Because every single rock must be of
exactly the same size,

otherwise the limestone blocks are
useless for building

and can't be sold.

NARRATOR: Thanks to the geological
conditions in Egypt

there is an almost inexhaustible
reservoir of limestone.

The greater part of the limestone
originates from the flat sea

and was lifted above sea level
by tectonic processes.

The first thing we notice,

in spite of the sharp blades
and the power cables

almost all workmen walk around
in flip-flops.

Protective clothing looks different.

NARRATOR: The extremely fine dust
and the dry heat makes working

much more difficult.

But the machines and the sharp saw
blades also pose a threat.

Our cameraman gets too close
to the stone saw

and distracts the machine operator.

The machine tilts
and leaps out of track.

The workers stop the cutting process
and separate the machine

from the power supply.

Parts of the saw blade
have come off.

Several of the sharp
shafts are missing.

That's what the workers fear most.

The shafts can fly through
the air like bullets.

NARRATOR: Luckily nothing happened.

Unfortunately, things have often
gone wrong in the past.

Throwing the blades away is
out of the question.

One saw blade costs
500 Egyptian pounds, about $30.

And the mine does not yield enough
to be able to afford

better equipment.

NARRATOR: To keep costs down is top
priority for the mine workers.

Kamel, the owner of the mine,

is hardly able to pay
for costly equipment.

In order for the mine to be
profitable, here, too, it's,

"Time is money!"

(speaking Arabic)

NARRATOR:
Pressure is high every day.

There are many competitors,
about 1500 mines in the area.

If you don't deliver, you're out.

That's one of the reasons why
Kyrillus and his team

only take a break after
four hours of hard work.

And they've truly earned it.

The men regain their strength
eating bread and tomato soup.

The first thing we notice,
no one eats and rests by himself -

because the team spirit is
essential.

NARRATOR: After the break there are
only four hours left to fulfil

the daily quota,
then it gets too hot.

The guys have to step it up a notch.

The men work eight hours in
the blazing sun for about $6 a day.

That's about two days of food
for the entire family.

Sunday is the only day off.

The men are proud of their work in
spite of all the hardships involved.

NARRATOR: Almost the entire region
of Minya lives off the limestone.

Almost 45,000 men work as day
laborers in the mines.

They have no health
or social insurance.

If you don't work,
you don't get paid.

Kyrillus is not just a foreman, he
is also the owner's right-hand man.

He is in charge of
selling the stones.

One of the customers tries
to outwit Kyrillus.

But he smells a rat.

NARRATOR: The foreman takes it with
a pinch of salt,

but prevails in the end.
Business is business.

In the meantime the heat gets to us.

Temperatures above
40 degrees are too much.

As a precaution Kyrillus
takes us into the shade.

We've just been here half a day
and are already totally beat.

That alone shows us
what a performance

these men are delivering.

After a short break, we look around
some more and discover more

workmen at the side of the mine.

NARRATOR: The Egyptian workers try
to turn every particle of dust

into money.
They waste none of the "white gold".

They can't afford to.

(speaking Arabic)

NARRATOR: After 8 hours of arduous
work the men have done it,

the quota has been met.

They have mined almost
50,000 stones today.

Exhausted, but happy that nobody
got hurt during the dangerous work,

they enjoy a refreshment.

The truck takes us back to the
village together with the miners.

A small group stays behind to guard
the mine and the equipment.

Shortly after leaving the mine
there's nothing left to be seen

of the snow-white landscape.
Just a barren desert.

As is usual here, the workers get
their pay in cash every day.

NARRATOR: And so Kyrillus and his
men will be toiling

in the snow-white desert
once again tomorrow.

There is a very special building
among the many multi-story buildings

in this city with its
two million inhabitants.

It's completely encircled
by a motorway roundabout.

The four lane road leads
all the way around the building.

So close you can even look
inside through the windows.

- It's really funny because
we can go all the way around.

I guess we have to find
the way to get to it.

There it is.

NARRATOR: It's surprisingly easy to
find the exit,

the house has its own.

Allegedly there are even people
living inside. Hard to imagine...

- This is the closest part to the
building, isn't it?

Because if you look above...

NARRATOR: What does it look like
from up above?

We want to find out and let our
camera fly up into the air.

Now the full dimensions are visible,

it is in fact
an eight-storey building,

sandwiched by a four-lane road.

Just about four metres between
the building and the highway

at the narrowest point.

We learn the highway
is not that old.

It's the access road to
an important tunnel of the city.

- You can see the building is
not really occupied.

- The first floor used to be shops.
- Now it's all closed down.

NARRATOR:
The building seems deserted,

but we have made an appointment over
the phone -

there must be a family
living inside somewhere.

We look for an entrance.

There at a side entrance,
a decorated door...

We meet 47-year-old Gho,
he is a taxi driver.

We ask him how many people
live in the house.

(speaking Chinese)

NARRATOR:
There are 7 people on 70 sqm.

Gho wants to show us
the main building first.

He, as opposed to us, hasn't seen
the disastrous building

from up above yet.

Almost all other tenants have fled -
in the upper floors directly next to

the highway the exhaust fumes
and the noise are unbearable.

Gho would have left, too, but he has
a controversy with the authorities.

They deny him the right to
an adequate substitution

for his condominium.

Goh shows us the way up to the roof,

up there he says we'll see
why everyone has left.

On the inside,
the house looks like a ruin.

The reason, in the beginning the
government had started building

measures to protect the tenants,
but quickly abandoned them.

"Half-done building measures" are
a common means by which

the Chinese government gets rid of
unwanted tenants.

Because the building is to
be demolished.

- New windows? Why did they do it?

- They're just fake windows.
You can't even open them.

So they look like
the house has windows.

It doesn't look broken from
the highway. It looks good.

NARRATOR: Goh improvises a path up
to the roof,

he has repeatedly tried to make the
authorities realise what the highway

means for himself and the remaining
tenants - to no avail.

Up on the roof,
we realise it is unbelievably loud.

(loud traffic)

- I'm just saying,
it's unbelievable!

NARRATOR:
Goh's apartment is encircled

in a raging highway-tornado.

NARRATOR: The controversy with
the authorities has been going on

for several months -
no one gives way.

Goh does not want to accept
the government's offer.

NARRATOR:
It's not as bad downstairs says Goh.

That's why he doesn't want to give
in and stays on for the moment.

The government wants to demolish the
building and create green spaces.

But as long as Goh remains,
they can't do that -

a deadlock situation.

Back downstairs,
Goh shows us his apartment.

It's narrow - there are
7 people living on 70 sqm.

They try to cover up the sickening
smell of the exhaust fumes

by using incense sticks.

And of course it's still loud,

but nothing like
the noise on the roof.

Since nobody takes care of the
building several pipes have started

to leak,
but Goh improvises once more -

perseverance is his motto.

And the law forbids the government
to evict the tenants.

But the continuous traffic
noise gets to him...

NARRATOR: This is the view from
the family's living room.

Goh also shows us the small bedroom.

The family sleeps as far away as
possible from the window.

It's impossible to take a rest here
after a long day of cab driving.

But it's still better than what the
authorities offer as compensation.

- Is he angry because of
what's going on?

NARRATOR: And so the yellow and
white building will stay

in the middle of the highway
a little while longer.

Until, well,
until Goh and the authorities

have reached an agreement.

- Subtitles by Sky Access Services