Worlds Apart

Watch Worlds Apart

  • 2009
  • 1 Season

Worlds Apart is a documentary series produced by National Geographic. It focuses on exploring the lives of people from different cultures and backgrounds who exist outside of mainstream society. The show offers an intimate glimpse into their daily lives, customs, and struggles.

Throughout the series, National Geographic’s team travels to remote areas of the world, such as the Amazon rainforest or the highlands of Papua New Guinea. The show's premise is to discover how those living in these isolated communities adapt to their surroundings and maintain their unique traditions and beliefs.

Each episode of Worlds Apart focuses on a different group or community, highlighting their unique culture and way of life. Some episodes feature the traditional way of life of an indigenous tribe, while others explore communities that are adjusting to urbanization and modernization.

The production team immerses themselves in the communities they feature, building a rapport with the locals and gaining their trust. They document everything from daily chores and rituals to political conflicts and natural disasters.

One episode follows the story of a young woman in Nepal who is fighting to break the stigma surrounding menstruation. In her community, menstruating women are considered unclean, and they are forced to isolate themselves in unhygienic outhouses during their monthly cycle. The young woman is working to educate her community on the importance of menstrual hygiene and to empower women in the region.

Another episode explores the lives of the Bajau people, who live in stilt houses above the ocean in Southeast Asia. The Bajau people are known as sea gypsies, and they have lived on boats and in stilt houses for generations. The show highlights the unique way of life of this semi-nomadic group and the challenges they face due to modernization and the effects of climate change.

Worlds Apart is a well-produced show that delivers an immersive and informative viewing experience. National Geographic's team guides viewers through the foreign and diverse cultures they encounter, providing context and explaining the practices and customs that may otherwise be obscure.

The show’s cinematography is breathtaking, capturing the magnificence of nature and the beauty and vibrancy of the communities featured. Many episodes delve into environmental issues and how they impact the livelihoods of these communities, such as deforestation, mining, and natural disasters.

The show does not shy away from complex topics, such as political conflicts and social issues, and the presentation is balanced and objective. The documentary often humanizes the people who face discrimination or persecution, showing the audience that, despite their differences, they share the same emotions and experiences as them.

Worlds Apart is a refreshing and thought-provoking series that offers a critical reflection on how we live and how we could live. Its incredible storytelling and intimate depiction of cultures that remain largely unknown to the Western world make it a must-watch for those interested in exploring the complexity and diversity of our planet.

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Seasons
New York meets Namibia
12. New York meets Namibia
March 19, 2003
What happens when four cosmopolitan New Yorkers trade the comforts of the Big Apple for the harsh realities of tribal life in northern Namibia?
Best Of
11. Best Of
March 12, 2003
Imagine taking a middle-class suburban family to Africa and having them live with a semi-nomadic tribe. No electricity, no plumbing, no phones. In each episode of Worlds Apart, a family is taken to a remote location - from Mongolia to Kenya to Peru - for a hilarious journey of adventure and self-discovery.
Connecticut meets Panama
10. Connecticut meets Panama
March 5, 2003
What happens when a wealthy family from Darien, Connecticut jets to the remote jungles of Darien, Panama and tries to survive as members of the Wounan tribe? The name may be the same, but the living conditions are not.
Illinois meets Morocco
9. Illinois meets Morocco
February 26, 2003
What happens when an urban family from downtown Chicago forgoes their cell phones and fast food for a simple, communal lifestyle in a Moroccan mountainside village?
Michigan meets Guyana
8. Michigan meets Guyana
February 19, 2003
Imagine plucking a happy-go-lucky family from their quiet midwestern life and plummeting them into the stark realities of South American cowboy culture. Toss in some whips, some maggots, and triple-digit temperatures - and what do you get? - a family not quite sure if they should run for cover, or get back in the saddle.
Michigan meets Peru
7. Michigan meets Peru
February 12, 2003
Imagine dropping an urban family from downtown Detroit into the soaring Andes Mountains of Peru to live with Descendents of the Incas for an experience that will turn their world upside down.
Detroit Meets Peru
6. Detroit Meets Peru
April 25, 2009
A few days into their stay in Peru, a family from Detroit learns adjusting is harder than it sounds.
St. Louis Meets Mongolia
5. St. Louis Meets Mongolia
November 17, 2003
A family from St. Louis learns the ways of the nomadic Mongolians.
Chapel Hill Meets Malaysia
4. Chapel Hill Meets Malaysia
November 3, 2003
When a family of five goes to Malaysia, they bring home with more than pictures.
Alabama meets Ghana
3. Alabama meets Ghana
January 15, 2003
Imagine dropping a southern family from Birmingham, Alabama into the upper reaches of Ghana with no electricity, plumbing or phones to live amid the traditional Frafra people. What lies in store for the family will change them forever.
Virginia meets Papua New Guinea
2. Virginia meets Papua New Guinea
January 8, 2003
Imagine taking an overscheduled, overachieving suburban family from Virginia and dropping them into a tranquil village off mainland Papua New Guinea to live among the people of the Trobriand Islands, a place known as the "islands of love." Will they survive living off the land? More importantly, will they survive each other?
Oakton, Virginia Meets Papua New Guinea
1. Oakton, Virginia Meets Papua New Guinea
June 12, 2009
A family from Virginia lets go of their American ways to become true Trobriand.
Description
  • Premiere Date
    June 12, 2009