Under the Sun - Season 7

First aired: 1/10/1996 8 episodes
← Back to Under the Sun

Episodes

1. Singapore Singles

Aired: 1/10/1996

In an unusual attempt to bring the country's single citizens together, Singapore's government has launched its very own dating agency. We follow two women and one man on their search for the perfect date.

2. The Witching Tree

Aired: 1/17/1996

Villagers in northern Transvaal, South Africa, have good reason to fear their neighbours. Here witchcraft is a common accusation, with some hounded out of their homes, others even being killed. African magic, potentially a benevolent force, is being used as an instrument of violence in a society now under severe economic and psychological stress. This is the story of one accused witch and his accusers.

3. Fit for a King

Aired: 1/24/1996

While 100,000 Tongans prepare to celebrate their king's 75th birthday, the monarch is engaged in a race to shed some of his 33-stone bulk before the big day.

4. Painted Babies

Aired: 1/31/1996

Junior beauty pageants - open to children aged between six months and 17 years - offer big prizes to families across the southern states of America. This behind-the-scenes look at the phenomenon examines the themes of lost childhood and naked ambition.

5. A Caterpillar Moon

Aired: 2/7/1996

A family of Aka pygmies living deep in the Central African rainforest experiences their favourite time of year: caterpillar season. Millions of juicy, edible caterpillars fall from the mahogany trees. Away from the tall villagers to whom the Aka are virtual slaves, they express themselves through song, dance, and an astonishing teeth-sharpening ritual.

6. A Time to Woo

Aired: 2/14/1996

The local bride fair of the Ait Haddidu people in Morocco is a gathering to which women flock in search of a husband. Two women travel to the fair with different hopes. 27-year-old divorcee Fadma prepares by visiting a shrine and a sorcerer. Meanwhile 14-year-old Aisha has her eye on a boy who her father might not think suitable.

7. Spending the Kids' Inheritance

Aired: 2/21/1996

Every January the small US town of Quartzite, Arizona, plays host to a million of America's elderly who have rejected conventional notions of old age. Having sold their homes and deserted their families, they flock here to escape the cold, meet old friends, gamble their savings, and cross the Mexican border for cheap medical treatment. The temporary morgue deals with 200 bodies a day.

8. The Pilgrim's Gift

Aired: 2/28/1996

A devout Ethiopian couple endure blistering heat, bitter cold, and unforgiving terrain on a pilgrimage to the shrine of their saint and idol.