Film Info54 minutes
Wall to Wall, PBS, ARTE France Available for Free events ONLY Synopsis: 200,000 years ago we took our first steps on the African savanna. Today there are 7 billion of us living across planet Earth. How did our ancestors beat the odds and spread from continent to continent? What was the secret to their success? This is a global detective story, featuring new fossil finds and the latest genetic research. It’s a story that revolves around a shocking revelation. In prehistoric times, we met and mated with other types of human – like Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus. This mixing of genes helped us survive - and ultimately thrive. Scientists are beginning to realize that ours is not a pedigree species, but a patchwork. We are all hybrids. |
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Action Items
- For more information about the film and to view an interactive map of how humans first populated Earth visit https://wyoming.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/first-peoples/interactive/
- For more information on Clovis people and the study to find out if they were the first to colonize america visit http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070223-first-americans.html
- To learn more about carbon dating and how it helps determine the age of human remains check out http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/showing-their-age-62874/
- To understand how sporormiella can be linked to large herbivore populations through time you can read this scientific research paper about the materials and methodology that go into such research. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248392677_Linking_abundances_of_the_dung_fungus_Sporormiella_to_the_density_of_bison_implications_for_assessing_grazing_by_megaherbivores_in_paleorecords
- To learn more about Kennewick Man and the studies done on the remains visit http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/kennewick-man-ancient-one
Filmmaker Q & A
TIM LAMBERT/WALL TO WALL, SERIES PRODUCER, FIRST PEOPLES
What inspired this story?
The motivation behind FIRST PEOPLES was to bring a fresh approach to the epic story of human origins. We drew on the latest archeological and genetic research to explore the hybrid roots of our species. In story-telling terms, this was intended as a re-boot for the human race.
Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film?
Across the series, we set ourselves the task of finding the oldest Homo sapiens remains on each continent of the world. For Asia, that meant travelling to the tropical rain forests of Laos, negotiating access to a massive but remote cave and hiking in with archaeologists, a team of excavators and an escort of a dozen Communist Party dignitaries. Logistics were easily our biggest headache.
How do you approach science storytelling?
We spend a lot of time doing initial research, identifying compelling stories and weaving them into a coherent narrative. Then it’s a matter of getting great performances from our contributors in the field, and shooting feature-style drama recreations in South Africa. It is crucial to me that the drama scenes look authentically prehistoric, but at the same time the interactions feel timelessly human.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
I wanted the series to popularize a big, new and controversial idea - that our prehistoric ancestors met, mated and hybridized with other other types of human. This hybridization was key to the success of our species, because it helped us explore the planet and adapt to new environments. The idea percolates throughout the series, but is more clearly stated in this film than any other - making ASIA the pivot point for FIRST PEOPLES.
Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share?
I remember our cast of South African actors going through hours of prosthetic make-up work and emerging in their skins as Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus. That was the moment I realized the truth of our story - that up-close these people looked different to us, but not so different… If our ancestors met them tens of thousands of years ago, it’s easy to imagine a shared sense of humanity crossing the species barrier.
Anything else you would like people to know?
The series was a huge success for PBS and Arte, generating a lot of social media traffic and press coverage. More importantly, the consolidated viewing figures were the highest for any factual series on PBS in 2015. It shows how serious science can be made inherently popular - especially when it’s about you, me and everyone’s roots.
What next?
We are currently in talks with PBS for a follow-up to FIRST PEOPLES. It’s too early to say what the content of the new show will be, but it will share the same core elements - smart science, sharp story-telling, a mix of documentary and drama, and a comprehensive sweep through human history. Hopefully, it will also replicate the success of FIRST PEOPLES.
What inspired this story?
The motivation behind FIRST PEOPLES was to bring a fresh approach to the epic story of human origins. We drew on the latest archeological and genetic research to explore the hybrid roots of our species. In story-telling terms, this was intended as a re-boot for the human race.
Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film?
Across the series, we set ourselves the task of finding the oldest Homo sapiens remains on each continent of the world. For Asia, that meant travelling to the tropical rain forests of Laos, negotiating access to a massive but remote cave and hiking in with archaeologists, a team of excavators and an escort of a dozen Communist Party dignitaries. Logistics were easily our biggest headache.
How do you approach science storytelling?
We spend a lot of time doing initial research, identifying compelling stories and weaving them into a coherent narrative. Then it’s a matter of getting great performances from our contributors in the field, and shooting feature-style drama recreations in South Africa. It is crucial to me that the drama scenes look authentically prehistoric, but at the same time the interactions feel timelessly human.
What impact do you hope this film will have?
I wanted the series to popularize a big, new and controversial idea - that our prehistoric ancestors met, mated and hybridized with other other types of human. This hybridization was key to the success of our species, because it helped us explore the planet and adapt to new environments. The idea percolates throughout the series, but is more clearly stated in this film than any other - making ASIA the pivot point for FIRST PEOPLES.
Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share?
I remember our cast of South African actors going through hours of prosthetic make-up work and emerging in their skins as Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus. That was the moment I realized the truth of our story - that up-close these people looked different to us, but not so different… If our ancestors met them tens of thousands of years ago, it’s easy to imagine a shared sense of humanity crossing the species barrier.
Anything else you would like people to know?
The series was a huge success for PBS and Arte, generating a lot of social media traffic and press coverage. More importantly, the consolidated viewing figures were the highest for any factual series on PBS in 2015. It shows how serious science can be made inherently popular - especially when it’s about you, me and everyone’s roots.
What next?
We are currently in talks with PBS for a follow-up to FIRST PEOPLES. It’s too early to say what the content of the new show will be, but it will share the same core elements - smart science, sharp story-telling, a mix of documentary and drama, and a comprehensive sweep through human history. Hopefully, it will also replicate the success of FIRST PEOPLES.
