Edjengi The Documentary

Edjengi is a feature documentary that explores how little-known insights into our collective past could help create a roadmap to a sustainable future.

As our species becomes ever more powerful and our impact on the natural world ever more destructive, many are wondering if humankind has the wherewithal to tackle the impending global crises.

Bruce Parry, renowned for his BAFTA-winning BBC documentaries, possesses unparalleled knowledge of diverse human societies through his immersive experiences with remote indigenous communities worldwide. His unique encounters have shown him how resilient and ingenious humankind can be, but they also left him questioning whether our species was somehow destined to create the very planetary crises we now confront.

Everything changed for Bruce when he ventured deep into the tropical forests and encountered the world’s last remaining nomadic hunter-gatherers. These people roam freely, adapting to nature's rhythms, and challenged everything Bruce thought he knew about human nature and society.

What he discovered was astonishing. Decades of living among diverse societies paled in comparison to the striking contrast he witnessed when encountering the nomadic Penan in Borneo and the pygmy Mbendjele in the Congo. These groups still exist today without hierarchical structures and are the most peaceful and resilient of all peoples anywhere.

In the heart of the Congo, the Mbendjele represent an unbroken lineage that is as old as humanity itself. Their narratives and rituals reenact the very moment when our ancestors transitioned from alpha-male hierarchies to egalitarian societies — an epoch that symbolizes the dawn of our species, over two hundred thousand years ago.

Egalitarianism, the hallmark of people unaffected by the neolithic revolution, once prevailed in all societies until the advent of agriculture ten thousand years ago. Astonishingly, this resilient social form endured for ninety-five percent of our history as modern humans, and still exists in a few remote parts of Africa and Southeast Asia today, a revelation that has remained largely unknown until now.

Motivated by this profound insight, Bruce dedicated the next decade to investigating egalitarian life, deciphering its narratives, methodologies and principles to see if this was an irrevocable time gone by or if there was anything that could be re-integrated today. The result is "Edjengi" (working title), a groundbreaking film by Bruce Parry and Beatrice Andrew that uncovers our true human potential — an extraordinary revelation that has never been considered a viable path for humanity until now. 

"Edjengi" will ignite a new enlightenment, unveiling the depths of our untapped potential. Moreover, it will provide a roadmap for translating these revolutionary insights into tangible actions, instilling hope in us all at this critical moment in history. 

Join Bruce and Beatrice in supporting "Edjengi," an unprecedented exploration of our true human potential. Together, we can pave the way to a harmonious future for us all.

For more information, here is our pitch deck. 

Please get in touch [email protected].