Pygmies: The Children of the Jungle (2011) User Reviews

Pygmies, the secret society of the happiest nicest people on the planet, being threatened by us and outside forces... great documentary!

[hirop-22409 · 8/10 · 10 September 2017]

This documentary was well done. It does take you on a journey that opens you up to the harsh truths of Africa then focuses on the pygmy people and the crews interactions. The way these people survive is incredible and the film shows just how beautiful these people are, as well as provide incredible footage of how they live, hunt and treat each other, and the incredible nature of the Congo.

One aspect I wish they focused more on was how these people resolve everything through dancing, from young to old they dance for everything. It is really incredible and worth watching just for that. The film narrator highlights the virtues off their life often and that their way of life is under attack and I agree wholeheartedly. These people are very kind and deserve to have their way of life preserved, especially from armed militant soldiers. But given the time they had with these people and the reason for them leaving stated at the end, it is a plausible reason as to not showing the dancing as a larger part.

Overall a very nice documentary, spend some time and gain a little perspective watching this.

why so low rating?

[v-56289 · 8/10 · 30 May 2021]

I am not really sure, why the rating is so low and why many people found it offensive... I really enjoyed it. I like learning about these distinct and different cultures.. Maybe many found offensive that the author said the word primitive... I do not think it was in order to look down, or laugh at pygmies... He also says, that most likely Pygmies would find us primitive as we would not be able to do important things such as catching a prey, or knowing the forest's plants.. I watched it in original and maybe some messages were lost in translation.. Slovakia is a country with no colonial legacy neither significant minorities, so there were no pressure on "clearing the country from racism" (racist prejudice respectively) as is in the US, UK, or other countries..

Offensive!

[kathw-16574 · 7 October 2018]

This programme is terribly offensive. The narrator describes the people with whom he spends time as backwards and inferior. Nothing of interest is revealed, other than the author's own prejudices. Even the title makes me cringe, describing others as "children" is both infantilising and imperialistic. The makers of this programme should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Using the word "primitive" has surely been unacceptable for at least 100 years. The shame.

great

[negreadd · 10/10 · 21 October 2018]

Great documentary about the pygmies. Well presented, enough long to see the reality of the african jungle.... Thank you.

Failure In Translation

[Kamran09 · 4/10 · 17 September 2017]

I was quite looking forward to watching this documentary due to its subject matter but shortly after starting the film it becomes apparent that this would not satiate my interest in this subject.

The narration of this documentary is incessant and gives the viewer no time to contemplate the images on screen - which by themselves are not at all that unique or shot in an intriguing manner.

Poor narration aside the content of the narration is incredibly droll and incredibly patronising towards the "subjects" of this film. No Central African (or "native" as the narrator names them) is ever interviewed or indeed talks for the film a major misfire in any modern documentary film.

This is merely another film about a white who goes to Africa and makes a film about it with mixed in pseudo-philosophy about how these people are 'closer to God'.

Thank God it was only 50 minutes

Appalling, racist, & patronizing - pull from Netflix! Please

[djones-76915 · 1/10 · 12 January 2019]

Very offensive. I had to check the date of the documentary and was shocked to see it's from 2011 and not 1911! Very patronizing! The worst of many worst quotes "Since Africans as a people are very auperstitious"?!!! I kept watching to see how low this guy would go. Apauling! And, I'm Apostles Netflix put it out there! I'm also appalled that the guy gets paid for this! It only fuels miseducation, racism, and mistrust! In short - this video made me very very angry and should be pulled from Netflix Documentaries!

Rare look at Pygmies of Central Africa.

[TxMike · 9 September 2017]

I found this documentary on Netflix streaming. Anyone fascinated by the diversity of peoples in our world will enjoy this film.

I learned that the word "pygmy" has Greek origins and literally meant 'the length measured from elbow to knuckles.' Today the word Pygmy commonly refers to "any of a small people of equatorial Africa ranging under five feet in height."

The thing about the Pygmies in this documentary, they pretty much live the way they have for thousands of years. They have no refrigerators or lights, they keep no permanent homes. The women of the tribe can build a hut in minutes, with sticks in the ground bent into shape and then woven with banana tree leaves.

So each grows up to recognize quite a variety of edible plants and animals, including snails, grubs, roots, berries, etc. The men are expert at finding honey high in the forest and harvesting it. When they hunt they put up nets. The men wait as the women make a wide perimeter and drive animals towards the nets. They eat about anything, monkeys, antelope, porcupines, rats. Meat will spoil in the warm and humid jungle so food is cooked and consumed. They live from day to day.

The Pygmies are gentle people, and not very well respected by many other tribes of people. The narrator commented that they may not exist much longer.

Good documentary.

Patronizing and offensive

[harmoniedingui · 1/10 · 26 January 2019]

I like documentaries, and I was excited about this one from the title. My husband is from Côte d'Ivoire and I like watching stuff about the continent. This, I did not like. The narrator is patronizing and it just promotes the Africans as Savages stereotype. Of course the people know how to survive in the jungle! They've lived there for centuries! I watched half the doc and will not finish it.