Bruce Parry Returns to BBC Two with Tribe Revival

Bruce Parry and Muetuelachy (Images: BBC Pictures)

By Jon Donnis

After more than a decade away from television, filmmaker and indigenous rights advocate Bruce Parry is returning to BBC Two and iPlayer with a brand-new three-part series. In this latest instalment of Tribe, Parry will once again immerse himself in some of the world's most remote communities, exploring their traditional ways of life and the wisdom they hold. His return comes at a time of increasing environmental and social pressures on indigenous peoples, making his journey more relevant than ever.

Parry believes that now, more than ever, the world can learn from indigenous knowledge. With millions of tribal people leaving their homelands and those who remain facing growing threats, his series offers a rare opportunity to witness cultures that continue to live in deep connection with their surroundings. He is the first foreign visitor to live with each of the three communities featured and has filmed much of his experience himself.

The first episode takes him to the Waimaha people, living in one of the most isolated parts of the Amazon rainforest. Decades ago, their way of life was nearly wiped out by rubber tappers and missionaries, leaving them wary of outsiders. Parry arrives hoping to learn about their intricate understanding of the rainforest and how they have adapted to survive in such a harsh yet abundant environment.

In the second episode, he journeys into the Namib Desert, one of the most unforgiving landscapes on Earth. Here, he stays with the Mucubal, a group only recently accessible after years of civil war. For some villagers, he is the first white person they have ever seen. As he lives alongside them, he witnesses firsthand how climate change is making life even more challenging for the Mucubal and their cattle.

The third and final episode takes him to the Indonesian island of Sumba, home to a culture that follows the ancient Marapu religion. In this deeply spiritual society, ancestral spirits demand blood sacrifices, and the dead are buried in vast megalithic tombs. Invited to stay in a hilltop village by the local priest, Parry experiences their way of life and the customs that continue to shape their identity.

BBC Commissioning Editor Tom Coveney has praised Parry's return, calling him a pioneer of immersive documentary-making and highlighting the importance of this series at a time of great environmental and cultural change. Frank Films' Creative Director Jamie Balment notes that Parry's curiosity and enthusiasm remain undimmed, but with a new sense of urgency as these communities face increasing pressures.

Parry first rose to fame twenty years ago with Tribe, where he lived with fifteen indigenous groups around the world. His later documentary Amazon won a BAFTA for Best Factual Series in 2009. Now, with this latest series, he continues his journey of exploration, offering audiences a rare and valuable insight into the lives of those who still live in deep harmony with nature.