Extreme Tribe: The Last Pygmies, C4
★★★★
If you want a reminder of what a world without social media looks like, you should definitely catch up on this engrossing two-part documentary.
In the absence of Twitter and Facebook, the members of the Congo’s Mbendjele tribe have a far simpler way of venting their frustrations and putting the world to rights.
They simply get up in the morning and rant in public for as long as they need to.
It’s effectively the rainforest equivalent of Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.
The ranting ritual is called the Mosambo and having completed her first month of living among the tribe in their remote village, filmmaker Livia Simoka was encouraged to have a go.
Sadly, her sleep-deprived wailings about the fact that her pygmy hosts like to party into the wee small hours seemed to fall on disinterested ears.
Still, fair play to her for getting into the spirit of things. She seemed less keen, though, to try another tribal ritual – teeth sharpening.
This is a beauty treatment which some of the young women undergo. The shark-like smile they end up with may look incredible but the process is not for the fainthearted.
The ladies bite down on a piece of wood while the village’s top dentist, Edmund, chips away at their teeth. He then sharpens the edges to a point with a knife.
There’s no anaesthetic. Not even a swig of the Mbendjele’s favourite tipple, palm wine.
Well, why waste good booze when you have an all-night rave to go to?
