About the film

The film takes a look at human origins in the very place of our beginnings, Africa’s Rift Valley, where one of the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer groups, the Hadza, have lived sustainably for over 50,000 years. The Hadza’s foraging lifestyle is much like that of our earliest ancestors and many consider the group to be the oldest population in East Africa.

Their way of life, which characterizes most of human existence, is currently under attack — and a vital tie to our evolutionary roots may be lost forever. In addition to the remarkable Hadza people, the film also features Jane Goodall, Richard Wrangham, Wangari Maathai and a host of anthropologists, geneticists and other experts. The film presents intriguing theories about the evolution and origin of Homo Sapiens, while also examining the delicate balance of human aggression and cooperation that is at our core.

Awards and Festivals

2014 Environmental Film Festival, Washington, DC

Social Impact

Director and Producer Bill Benenson saw the importance of giving indigenous cultures the opportunity to survive in their own habitat without prejudice.