Tropic of Capricorn
BBC
Saturday, 8 pm
Rating ****

What’s it about? Tropic of Capricorn, the latest travelogue/documentary being aired on BBC, is a spectacular four-part series that maps 20,000 mile journey along the Tropic of Capricorn. Passing through the massive continents of South America, Africa and Australia, the line in the Southern hemisphere of the earth, traverses some of the most beautiful, yet desolate, parched parts of the planet. Ironically, these also happen to be home to some of the poorest people, living in the harshest environments this planet has to offer. The journey begins on the sand dunes of Namibia, where youngster sport enthusiasts are sand-boarding, doing their bit to promote tourism, in the slowly growing nation.

Who’s in it? British writer and television host Simon Reeve presents a uniquely sensitive and inclusive travelogue, with special focus on people marginalised by State propagated development initiatives, which include everything from diamond mining in Botswana to shutting down of an

asbestos mining town in the Australian outback. Reeve’s specialisation in international terrorism and conflict resolution, combined with BBC’s cautious objectivity present an extraordinary journey into communities and cultures that stand the risk of extinction. Reeve is the winner of the One World Broadcasting Trust Award for an “outstanding contribution to greater world understanding”.

What’s hot? While travelling across the outback, Reeve visits Aboriginal settlements that are at the heart of a controversy in Australia. With a history of violent invasion by white, European settlers, the Australian government has been engaging in the rehabilitation of the original ancestors of Australia, for many years. But the uprooting from traditional ways of life and integration into a fast growing, consumer society is not easy. Ignored by the state and policed by military, Reeve exclaims that the deprivation in the aboriginal community is of third world proportions.

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