- Title: UAE documentary says unearthed new information about the first humans
- Date: 19th December 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) "HISTORY OF THE EMIRATES" SERIES DIRECTOR, DAVID LEE, SAYING: "What is exciting is how many new discoveries are taking place at the moment in the United Arab Emirates from an archaeological point of view and a historical point of view, and that makes it very exciting for us. For example, we filmed at a dig where they had just unearthed a stone tool from a hundred and twenty five thousand years ago and which revealed that humans leaving Africa took a route that no one had realised they took before, across the Red Sea, which at that time was much shallower. And so humans could probably have waded across it at places, or at least got across it much more easily than today. So that's a whole new theory of how and when humans might have left Africa emerging in recent years." LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VR SETS
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2020 11:37
- Keywords: UAE United Arab Emirates documentary
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA004BAN73H1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The director of new documentary series focusing on the history of the United Arab Emirates spanning 125,000 years said they had made new discoveries about the first humans on earth.
The filmmakers behind several David Attenborough documentaries said they found evidence that the first humans crossed from Africa to the Emirates along a route that was never considered before.
Actor Jeremy Irons voices the new "History of the Emirates" series and the project was produced by EMMY and BAFTA award-winning production company Atlantic Productions for National Geographic.
A three-part series has been made for UK audiences and a more in depth five-part series is being released in the UAE by the company behind Attenborough's "Rise of Animals", "The Coronation with Queen Elizabeth" and Judi Dench's "Wild Borneo Adventure".
Series director David Lee said the history of this part of the world is generally unknown, particularly in the west, so this is new territory for documentary film making.
Three virtual reality experiences have also been produced to allow viewers to absorb the information in a different way. One in particular focuses on the work of pearl divers after the oldest sea pearl yet discovered was found during the making of the series.
Those behind the project say they are doing their part to not only educate the rest of world about the UAE, but also the people of the region.
An outreach project is also set to run alongside the series in the UAE, with VR headsets being sent out in buses to schools and communities so that people can learn about their history in 360 degrees.
(Production: Will Russell, Sarah Duffy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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