Somewhere on Earth: The Bissagos Islands

What if paradise exists as a place on earth? In this 48 x 52 mins series, we travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Somewhere on Earth invites you to discover the Bijagos Islands, an isolated territory of Guinee Bissau, in West Africa. These sacred lands resemble a vast river delta.

Marcelinho is a traditional healer in Empincha, a village on the island of Carache. He learned the traditional medicine from his father and began to treat people in the northern islands with him. A few years ago Marcelinho received training in the fundamentals of modern western medicine from foreign doctors.

The island of Orango, in the far south, is a World Biosphere Reserve and the country’s first National Park. This is where Pedro lives. He’s a generous man, always on the lookout for stories because he’s the reporter of Okinka Pampa, Orango’s small radio station.

Quintino, on the island of Caravella, is preparing to undergo the most important phase of his life, the fanado, the highest initiation rite, which will open a mysterious, secret world to him.