A tribe under influence
Original title
Gaialand
Released
9/12/2022
Origin country
BE, FI, FR
Genre
Documentary
Production companies
DR, RTBF, YLE, ARTE GEIE, Aito Media, Imagissime, Les Gens, Mediawan Rights
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
1
Number of episodes
4
In the Paris of the 80's, a group of young idealists, sensing an ecological catastrophe to come, want to show that another world is possible. Guided by a mysterious Amerindian shaman, they practice veganism, set up organic stores and live in teepees in the middle of buildings. Quickly accused by their families and the press of being manipulated, they start a long ecological march through Europe. A chase begins between the members of this community and those who accuse them of being under their control. After 10 years of wandering, the "Tribe" finally settles in Finland, in the extreme conditions of the Great North, to live its Utopia of a tribal life in harmony with nature: how far are they willing to save "Gaïaland"? Thanks to unique archives and rare testimonies of former followers, the "Gaïaland" series dives into the fascinating true story of this community and its demons.
1991, Ilpo, a young Finn who is depressed by the severe economic crisis in his country, meets a vegan 'Tribe' who lives in tepees. He meets their guide, an enigmatic shaman who asks him for help in building their Gaïaland, an ecological utopia. These 'Amerindians' are actually French, Belgian, Italian... They are young forerunners of the ecological cause who met ten years earlier in Paris. At the time, their teepees and way of life stood out in the urban landscape and aroused suspicion.
1984. After experimenting with an alternative way of life in Paris, the 'Tribe' embarks on a grand project: a journey around the world to rediscover nomadic life and sensitize the world to the ecological cause. But soon family and press say that the members of the group are being manipulated. Their 'guide', Norman William, is holed up in Belgium and tries to fund their activities, while he is under investigation. The ambiguity of his intentions soon becomes apparent, as do his different faces.
1991, the members of the 'Tribe' are exhausted after ten years of traveling through Europe. They meet Ilpo who helps them settle in Finland. Despite the Finns' warnings, Norman William decides to set up camp at the Arctic Circle. The 'Tribe' wants to prove that their way of life is possible even in extreme weather conditions. But when the temperatures drop to -50 ° C, the doubts grow among the followers. They have to push themselves to their limits, both physically and mentally. Heavy clouds gather over the group and their utopia when tragedy strikes the camp.
1993. It is the second winter for the 'Tribe' in Finland when French families track them down. The Finnish authorities turn against the 'Tribe' as a result of various dramas and discoveries about Norman William. The lonely stragglers, who claim to belong to the autonomous people of 'Iriadamant', are threatened with expulsion from Finland. They are opposed on all sides and have barely any resources left. They begin to question their adventure when they discover Norman William's duplicity that set them adrift.
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