I am not qualified to judge the historical merits and demerits of this set of 5 programs. That said, it manages to establish one undeniable fact that many mortals are not aware of: The expansion of. Polynesian peoples into the many islands of the Pacific Ocean is easily one of the most remarkable chapters in human prehistory. Sadly, there is no written account of what happened when and how, and there will never be one. There may be some mistakes in the 5 parts of this set, but I am not aware of a 'Western' bias. Nor does the writer (Peter Crawford) refrain from mentioning facts like cannibalism.
The 5 episodes are entitled: The Faraway Heaven Crossroads of the Pacific Burning Their Boats Distant Horizons The Pierced Sky
In my high-school Freshman year, I was fortunate enough to read an abridged version of Kon-Tiki.by Thor Heyerdahl (1914 - 18 April 2002). His theory about the origin of the Polynesian peoples is now widely accepted to be wrong. Still, his book and his team's experience deserves much respect. He was alive when this mini-series aired (1994). I wonder if he enjoyed some of the footage...
I give the mini-series 9 stars out of 10, only because the reenactments are not clearly announced to be reenactments, and because references to anthropological, geological, zoological, ... works related to the islands are not mentioned.
The photography, the chosen focus on flora and fauna, and the music place this set head and shoulders above similar nature programs. Besides, these are islands that most mortals will never be able to visit. There is some soul-stirring dance here, too!
A newer version of the set can and should be made today, with much better resolution, some drone shots, etc. But I fear that some of the islands and coral reefs are in far worse shape today than in the early '90s. I am not the only person who feels fortunate to have this set on VHS, and is eager to shell out good money for a DVD or Blu-Ray version.
The writer, Peter Crawford, also published a book with the same title to accompany the BBC2/PBS mini-series. (I do not have that one.).
The 5 episodes are entitled: The Faraway Heaven Crossroads of the Pacific Burning Their Boats Distant Horizons The Pierced Sky
In my high-school Freshman year, I was fortunate enough to read an abridged version of Kon-Tiki.by Thor Heyerdahl (1914 - 18 April 2002). His theory about the origin of the Polynesian peoples is now widely accepted to be wrong. Still, his book and his team's experience deserves much respect. He was alive when this mini-series aired (1994). I wonder if he enjoyed some of the footage...
I give the mini-series 9 stars out of 10, only because the reenactments are not clearly announced to be reenactments, and because references to anthropological, geological, zoological, ... works related to the islands are not mentioned.
The photography, the chosen focus on flora and fauna, and the music place this set head and shoulders above similar nature programs. Besides, these are islands that most mortals will never be able to visit. There is some soul-stirring dance here, too!
A newer version of the set can and should be made today, with much better resolution, some drone shots, etc. But I fear that some of the islands and coral reefs are in far worse shape today than in the early '90s. I am not the only person who feels fortunate to have this set on VHS, and is eager to shell out good money for a DVD or Blu-Ray version.
The writer, Peter Crawford, also published a book with the same title to accompany the BBC2/PBS mini-series. (I do not have that one.).