All language subtitles for M.P.S01E09.1080p.WEB.h264-BAWD_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR:In this small village,
to the north of Mexico City,

there is said to be a tree which has

an almost magical appeal
for butterflies.

Already, we see images
of butterflies all around.

Apparently we're on
the right track.

We ask the locals whether they
know this impressive tree.

(speaking Spanish)

NARRATOR:We set off to find David.

He is the guide who is said
to know where the tree

with thousands of
butterflies can be found.

(speaking Spanish)

NARRATOR:David is 44,
and has spent his whole life

here in the forests. Butterflies
have always been his passion.

And they have a very special
significance

for all the inhabitants
of this region, not just for David.

David takes us to a cemetery,
of all places, in order to explain.

It is a very
colourful scene here,

because in Mexico, people hold
lavish cemetery parties

for All Saints' Day.
In this culture

ancestors are part of everyday life

and, according to legends,
reveal themselves in nature.

One form this can take is
the monarch butterfly.

NARRATOR:Now, in order to find
the butterfly tree at last,

we have to head into the mountains,

to the entrance of
the nature reserve.

We begin our search at
an altitude of over 2,000m,

and David leads us
higher and higher.

As we climb we see more and more of
the black and orange butterflies

gradually appearing around us.

NARRATOR:Up here the vegetation
is very dense.

It is one of the last regions
which is virtually untouched,

a paradise for butterflies.

But the butterflies
are not always here.

They only come to this place
in huge swarms once a year.

Why this particular place?

Up to a billion monarch butterflies
are romping around

this nature reserve.

At noon, when the sun
is strongest,

they gather their energy
on this open space

and drink from one of
the few water sources.

They have all come to this place to
spend the winter here,

away from the cold temperatures
of North America.

To get here the creatures have
made an incredible journey.

For most of the butterflies, the
trip to their winter quarters

begins in North America
and parts of Canada.

They set course for central Mexico,

over 4,500km away.

Despite the fact that their
wingspan is just 10cm,

and they weigh half a gram.

The equivalent
journey for us humans

would be to travel around
the world eleven times.

Incidentally, this amazing
flight of the butterflies

is the biggest migration
of their species in the world.

Today, biologists can
trace precisely

the route taken by
the butterflies,

thanks to a simple but efficient
tracking method.

This tiny white sticker
provides the evidence.

NARRATOR:The combination of numbers
and letters on the sticker

reveals that this butterfly set off
from Michigan five months ago.

But not all the butterflies that set
off actually reach Mexico.

There are many dangers
on the long journey.

Spiders are the most deadly threat
to the delicate butterflies.

If they are trapped in a spider's
web there is no escape for them.

Only butterflies which have
managed to glide

most of the way have a chance of
completing the long journey.

We still haven't found the
butterfly tree from the photograph.

David has brought us this far.

Now, forest biologist
Felipe takes over.

He leads us even deeper into
the nature reserve,

to areas normally
forbidden to the public.

Here, we have to move quietly
and carefully.

And, finally, all of a sudden,
we see it-the butterfly tree.

Completely covered by
thousands of butterflies.

We can hardly make out the
branches and leaves.

Only the shape indicates
there is really a tree

underneath all this.

What attracts monarch butterflies
to these particular trees?

NARRATOR:The altitude of over
2,000m is also perfect.

The majority of these trees
are on a steep slope,

and on the southern side
in particular,

this means they catch
every single ray of sunshine.

In addition, when there are so many
trees so close together

it forms a kind of roof.
This provides protection

from rain and stormy winds
but allows

sunshine and warmth through.
The pine wood retains the heat,

so the tree trunks are like hot
water bottles for the butterflies.

Ideal winter quarters
for little creatures.

When we look more closely
we see another curious feature -

the majority of the butterflies
don't hang on the tree trunk itself

but on the branches,
creating large clusters.

NARRATOR:The butterflies now
recovering from their long journeys

are very special. They live
three times longer

than their immediate
forefathers. Even at birth

they were stronger and
bigger than their parents

and grandparents ever were.

NARRATOR:In spring the super
generation flies

the first stage of
the return journey,

as far as the border between Mexico
and North America.

This is where they
find the silk plants

where they lay their eggs
before they die.

Their children fly
the next step,

before they mate halfway along the
route, and then also die.

The third generation
is the one that makes it

all the way back to
North America.

And it is there that the
last - the super generation -

is born. Scientists believe
this generation is born

with a kind of genetic compass
which guides them back.

Back here, to the forests
of Mexico.

Climatic change, pesticides
and deforestation

have caused severe damage
to the butterfly migration.

Nobody knows how much longer this
natural spectacle will continue.

But this year, too, a few million
monarch butterflies

have managed to reach
this magical forest.

We find our next mysterious place
in America, in the state of Ohio.

There's supposed to be a commune
called Skatopia here,

founded by skateboarders,
without rules or prohibitions.

Instead, featuring wild parties and
a casual attitude towards life.

What awaits us there? Total freedom
or more like total chaos?

The road to Skatopia
takes us through the provinces

of the American state of Ohio.

Finally, it appears in
front of us - Skatopia.

Despite the warning signs,
it's open to everybody.

There is no barrier at the gate.

We're inside, and waiting to greet
us is the Boss in person.

- You are?

(barking)

- Where do you want us to park?
- Oh, come on. I'll show you.

NARRATOR:This is Brewce Martin,
the founder of Skatopia.

Here he has made
his dream come true.

A dream of life without rules, laws
or troublesome conventions.

Anarchy of the sort everyone wants
to experience at some point.

Brewce, a former professional
skateboarder,

is extremely proud of what
he has created here.

- When I bought Skatopia,
this was all multifloral roses.

NARRATOR:Brewce converted
the farm buildings into skate parks.

- I've been building
skateboard ramps since I was

probably 12, since I won my
first skateboard.

And I've been just
building ramps.

Quarterpipes, halfpipes, bowls.

This is one I built.

NARRATOR:Outside are
the next huge bowls.

Though there aren't any
skateboarders.

Brewce himself was once
a big name in the sport.

He won tournaments and set
records, some still standing.

But he never learned a profession.

Instead, in 1995,
he bought an old farm

and transformed it
into the legendary Skatopia.

A place where he created
his own order.

A place where he can live
with his friends

and have fun, undisturbed.

20 years later, his attitude towards
life is still the same.

- We just wanna be free, OK.

We just don't want people
telling us what to do, you know.

We don't want people telling
us what to do.

That's the whole problem
with life,

is everywhere you go,
there's a group of people,

"You gotta do this, you gotta
do this, you gotta do this,

you can't do that, you can't
do that, you can't do this.

You gotta do that."
And you know what?

People don't wanna hear
that their whole life.

NARRATOR:For 20 years now
Brewce has done everything

for his dream of a commune. Skatopia
costs just under $2,000 a month

to run. Electricity, tax,
water, fuel.

How does Brewce finance it all?

In the ground floor of his house
he runs a skateboard shop.

PRODUCER: The business you
make is enough to kinda keep

- this place going, or...?
- No.

(laughs)
I wish, no.

No, it's just...

It's just on the side.

NARRATOR:We discover
the main business just alongside.

And here, everyone is working hard.

A small printing company producing
political stickers

for amateur anarchists
around the world.

They produce and sell a good
5,000 stickers per month here.

This is how Brewce finances his
dream of life without conventions -

perfect freedom. We discover that
there are 12 permanent residents.

And then there are people who move
here for several weeks at a time.

Remy, for example, who arrived here
with her friend

a couple of weeks ago.

- So, how long do you
typically stay?

- Like, depends, honestly.
Whenever I run out of food,

whenever I run out of energy...

You gotta do to help out
a little bit.

Whenever you're tired
helping out we get out.

NARRATOR:With this attitude,
it's surprising anything at all

gets done here. But that's the deal
Brewce makes with everyone.

Only if they
help maintain Skatopia

can they stay here free of charge.

58-year-old Timothy is one of
the permanent residents.

His task today is to clear up the
trash scattered all around.

- Brewce, a lot of times, has to do
things by himself.

You know, there's some help
here, not a lot of it.

Cos the people that we bring
in here are mostly kids.

They're children, they need
to be taught.

Most of them don't know how
to use a hammer,

or you know, simple things,
so I feel like I'm more needed

in an area where I can teach
people basic things.

NARRATOR:Timothy moved
here from California two years ago.

His home - a discarded mobile home.

- I'm very minimalist here. I got a
skateboard, my computer

and I'm outta here.

NARRATOR:But, much to our
surprise, Timothy has Internet

reception in his mobile home.
He is responsible

for keeping the Skatopia
website up to date.

But of course, only when
he feels like it.

- There's no real...schedule.

Like, right now I could just
go grab my board and skate.

I don't cos I wanna work
but the thing is

is that I'm allowed to do whatever
I want, when I wanna do it.

I can go play drums at two
in the morning.

That's the best thing about
this lifestyle.

NARRATOR:We want to discover more
about the people who live here.

But many of them are sceptical
about the media.

After all, from their perspective,
we are among the "conformists"

who lead the conventional lives
they have rejected.

In the American media,
residents of Skatopia

are generally portrayed
as wild, violent and chaotic.

In fact, so far everything here has
been completely calm and peaceful.

- Anarchy is not like,
"Destroy everything

and burn it! Burn it!" That's what
everybody, you know, anarchy,

"Burn it!" Nah, dude,
how about build it?

We're not taking any government
handouts. Why don't you build it,

there's anarchy. No government. If
you don't need government to do it

and you're creating something,
you know what I mean,

there's your anarchy right there.
There's your little community

where each person does
their own thing

to help a greater good, which is
helping everyone.

NARRATOR:A place where
everyone can do what he wants.

Can that really work
in the long run?

During summer, in particular, it
often gets really full in Skatopia.

Generally, things are calm,

but sometimes there
are thefts and fights.

However, for the anarchists
this isn't a reason

to introduce any rules here.

- It shouldn't be on a piece of
paper and told to you.

You should know
how to treat people,

how to treat your
surroundings with respect,

everything with respect.

NARRATOR:Life without rules,
without structures or hierarchy.

It sounds tempting, but what does
that mean in concrete terms

when it comes to living here?

- What's gonna be for
lunch, dinner?

- We have a menu,
there's like a menu here, right?

Today it's like spaghetti with
meatballs, a slice of garlic bread.

NARRATOR:The only person
who is living his dream here

seems to be Brewce, and he has to
push the others to do things.

- How you guys doing up there?

OK. I got stuff I need done here.

The bowl has to be mopped with
all down strokes.

You wanna mop from
the top down

all the way to the bottom cos it's
gonna be slippery.

NARRATOR:Tomorrow a major party
is scheduled for this place.

Which means, this afternoon,
everyone has to clean up.

- I just know it's my son's
birthday, it's his 30th birthday.

There'll be a lot of
people here.

It'll be a mellow night, it's not
gonna be that big of a deal

but it's gonna be fun.

NARRATOR:The following day,
everything here is still very calm,

almost idyllic.

But then, early in the afternoon,
the first guests arrive.

Most of them are from nearby.

Out here in the countryside
there isn't much to do.

A party in Skatopia
is a major event.

The party begins with a chorus
of Happy Birthday for Brandon,

Brewce's son. He has
grown up in Skatopia,

although his mother moved
away from here long ago.

# Happy birthday, dear Brandon

# Happy birthday to you #

- Brandon

wants to move out here in a
house made of glass bottles

and get completely off the system.

- You'll always be in charge
here, Skatopia?

- No, I won't always be in charge.
I think my daughter will be

the next one to take it over.

NARRATOR:That could take a while.
Brewce's daughter is ten

and lives with her mother.

11 at night, the party
is in full swing.

And we finally see somebody
skateboarding for the first time!

The youngsters from the surrounding
area love the commune.

- Nobody judges,
nobody cares what you do.

Nobody cares what you are,
nobody cares anything.

NARRATOR:It's just after midnight.
Soon it will be time

for another Skatopia tradition -
a huge bonfire.

The burn the trash
from the last party.

The fire is a symbol that here,
absolutely everything is allowed,

just as long as it's fun.

MAN: Yeah!

(dog barking)

NARRATOR:Suddenly, there are
fireworks everywhere.

Are we now gonna see the dangerous
side of Skatopia after all?

- What is all that stuff?

- Little bit of everything
combined.

Water, bottle rockets...
(explosion)

- Whoo!

- Is that gonna happen
right now?

- I wanna throw it all in the fire
and just let whatever happen.

- Do it!

NARRATOR:Doing crazy things,
defying convention,

getting out of line. Here, all that
is simply the norm.

MAN: Yeah!

- That was a little crazy.
The fireworks

right by everybody.

- That's perfectly normal.

- Just a normal day.
- That's so normal.

This is actually pretty mellow.

NARRATOR:But if everyone
could do whatever he wants,

would utopia lose its appeal?

- Skatopia's famous for fire
and burning stuff,

what is that all about?

- Skatopia is famous for coming
here and being free

and not being a slave to
the system.

Look at these people.

How many of you people wanna
be part of the system?

- What?
- None of them.

- Yeah!

NARRATOR:Presumably
Skatopia wouldn't survive for long

without Brewce's involvement,
because without clear rules

nobody here cares about
anything but himself.

So it remains to be seen
how much longer

this mysterious place remains
intact for its inhabitants.

NARRATOR:Our journey now
takes us to Siberia.

Winter in north-east Russia.
The village of Oymyakon

is deep in the Siberian taiga.

It is the coldest inhabited
place in the world.

The record dates back to 1926 -
-71.2 degrees Centigrade.

For the 500 inhabitants,
winter lasts almost eight months.

Among them is the Petuchov family.

Nikolai, the father,
is a woodcutter.

His wife, Oksana, is a nurse in
Oymyakon's only hospital.

And the three Petuchov children
attend school,

unless it's closed because
of the temperature.

But more of that later.

The smoking chimneys of Oymyakon -

clearly life here is shaped
by the cold.

Nikolai's first trip is
to the cowshed.

Like every morning,
he has to feed the cows.

For eight months on end
the animals eat nothing but hay.

Fresh grass only grows
from May to August.

(speaking Yakut)

NARRATOR:And the cows can only
be milked in the summer.

Now, in winter, when it is -5
degrees Centigrade in the cowshed,

the cows have the
same task as the people -

to survive. Nikolai brings
ice back to the house -

water for the cows.

At eight o'clock in the morning in
Oymyakon, it is still pitch black.

Oksana wakes her children
for school.

It is 20 degrees Centigrade inside
the house,

which explains her summer outfit.

(speaking Yakut)

NARRATOR:In the houses of the
world's coldest inhabited settlement

two things are always on -
the heating and the TV.

So people in Oymyakon know what's
happening in the outside world.

A temperature difference of over 60
degrees between outside and inside

means constantly taking off or
putting on layers of clothes,

tiring but unavoidable.

Breakfast is quite heavy,
black tea and fried pastry.

In this temperature, plenty
of calories is a good idea.

Nikolai and his family are Yakuts,
of Turkish and Mongolian origin.

These people have been living in
Siberia since the 12th Century.

NARRATOR:Just before 8:30
the children leave to catch

the school bus.
But not without hats.

Their Mum is strict about this.

Pasha and Etschiman have to walk
about 200m to the bus stop.

When the temperature is -43 degrees
children shouldn't stay outside

for more than half an hour.
So children use the bus

to reach school or go on foot,
if they live nearby.

A quarter of an hour later,
Oksana also has to leave the house.

She doesn't get a lift.

NARRATOR:It takes 20 minutes.
There is only street lighting

in the middle of the village.

In the school bus the heating
is on full,

so it's a comfortable
five degrees inside.

To make sure the bus
doesn't break down

the driver has a heated garage -
a luxury in Oymyakon.

The school is only closed
if it's really cold.

Here in Oymyakon,
younger pupils can stay at home

when it gets below -54 degrees,

and when it's below -58 degrees

the school is closed for everybody.

Nikolai's most important task
in Oymyakon -

the capital of cold weather -
is to keep the house warm.

He has to fetch firewood
every day for this.

In the dry Siberian air wood kept
outside will burn just fine.

In any case, it doesn't often snow
here during the winter.

This is because the mountains
to the west protect Oymyakon

from the warmer winds,
laden with snow,

while there is no obstacle to
the Arctic stream of air

from the north east.

To keep the house warm, Nikolai has
to burn up to 60 cubic metres

of wood each winter.

NARRATOR:118 pupils attend
the school in Oymyakon.

There are no different educational
systems here.

The pupils learn Russian
as a foreign language,

because here, everybody
speaks Yakut.

(bell rings)

NARRATOR:During a break
the pupils are given a warm meal.

The smaller ones in particular need
lots of energy to combat the cold.

Pasha is shy but ambitious.

(speaking Yakut)

NARRATOR:And then to return
to Oymyakon

because like everybody here,
Pasha is very fond of her home.

Nikolai sets off. It's two
and a half hours on foot,

and the temperature is still
-40 degrees.

Nikolai is only permitted
to cut wood far out in the taiga.

He makes the journey there and back
three times a week.

NARRATOR:Although almost
everybody in Oymyakon has a car,

few people can
afford a heated garage,

or the fuel to keep the car running
constantly from October to May.

In these temperatures,
when a car stops,

there's a very real danger
it won't start again.

Oksana has been working as a
nurse in the little village hospital

here for 23 years now.
She is responsible

for attending to the patients,
taking their temperature,

dispensing medicine
and giving injections.

And nothing else happens
in this hospital.

NARRATOR:And that
is 500km away.

Here, that means at least
a day's journey.

But at least this hospital
is comfortable.

NARRATOR:Houses are usually
heated individually here,

with wood stoves.
But heat is supplied to the hospital

along these insulated
overground pipes.

Underground pipes would burst
in these temperatures.

At the moment Oksana is kept busy.

There is an outbreak
of influenza here.

It's lunchtime now.

Although the sun is shining,
it doesn't provide any warmth.

After two and a half hours marching
through the bitter cold,

Nikolai has reached his workplace.

First, he warms himself up
in the little tent.

Pyotr, Nikolai's colleague,
is already here

preparing the chainsaws.
In extremely low temperatures

they can cause problems.

The most important thing
here is the heating oven,

a homemade model. It warms up
the two half-frozen men

from time to time
and thaws out equipment.

(speaking Yakut)

NARRATOR:At -45 degrees Centigrade
the fuel oil

becomes thick and glutinous.
By adding a little petrol

they get it back to
the right consistency.

Both men lost their jobs as teachers

when there were cutbacks
at the school.

NARRATOR:Nikolai and Pyotr supply
wood not only to their own families

but to the whole village.
Every two weeks

a truck struggles through
the Siberian taiga

and brings back the
timber they have cut.

The chainsaws are unreliable.

Pyotr has to repair them
with his bare hands,

when it's -45 degrees Centigrade.

They have to work quickly
to make sure

they get home before night falls.

NARRATOR:In the coldest inhabited
place on the planet

temperatures in summer can
climb to 30 degrees Centigrade.

In school, Etschiman
has Russian class.

Russian is the language
of state offices,

so the children start Russian
lessons in first grade,

also so they can communicate
with the rest of the country.

After school
Pasha and Etschiman have to hurry.

The school bus picks the children up
again.But if anyone misses it,

he has to walk, and it's
-47 degrees Centigrade.

At two in the afternoon
temperatures start to fall,

and the children aren't yet
as resistant to the cold

as their parents.

When they get home, their
first task is to do their homework.

In the icy winters, children spend
the majority of their lives indoors,

in the warm house. Outdoor
activities just don't happen.

Late in the afternoon
their parents get home.

Nikolai first plays
with his youngest child.

Meanwhile, Oksana
is attending to the housework.

She has to be careful
about using the water.

NARRATOR:There's no question of
having underground pipes here.

Each household has large containers
which are topped up as needed.

The driver supplies the houses
with water,

which he pumps up
from the river.

When temperatures get
below -55 degrees Centigrade

even the insulated truck freezes.

Then, people have to thaw out
blocks of ice,

as Nikolai does for his cows.

People who live closer to the river
lead their cows down to the water

twice a day. The water is taken
from a hole in the ice.

NARRATOR:There is one
single shop that sells groceries,

household goods and clothes.

Otherwise the families have to be
self-sufficient.

Nikolai caught the fish himself.
While Oksana prepares dinner,

the children have time for their
favourite activity - computer games.

In winter children don't
have many hobbies.

It's just too cold to go outside
if you don't need to.

The wood-burning heating oven
is also used for cooking.

NARRATOR:Fish is the main source
of protein and vitamins.

Nikolai catches them in the autumn.

NARRATOR:Life in Oymyakon -

the extreme cold is a
challenge for the people here,

but they have mastered it.

The Siberians love
their country though,

their winter and their way of life.

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