The latest expedition of Montanus duo transports us to one of the most isolated and little-known continental fragments on Earth. Socotra Island lies in the Indian Ocean between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and it is home to surreal endemic flora and fauna. ‘Socotra’ is a short film that follows them in the exploration of this remote and alien-looking land.
‘Socotra’ is a new short film that recounts the exploration of the Montanus duo in one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin. Socotra has long been an island shrouded of mystery, and over the centuries travelers returned from the Indian Ocean isles with tales about a strange world with surreal bleeding trees, a forest of frankincense, and dramatic pinnacles that emerged from the mist.
Nowadays this piece of Africa adrift at sea is considered a Noah’s ark, where an incredible number of unique species of flora and fauna have evolved and have been preserved. Giorgio and Francesco followed a 400km route that led them to the most remote areas of the island on dirt and dusty roads to explore semi-arid limestone plateaus, breathtaking coasts, giant white-sand dunes, and magnificent cliffs.
The monsoon usually hits Socotra hard during the rainy season, badly damaging some roads, so they were forced to adopt a risky option when they faced a collapsed and impassable road due to a massive rockfall. The film reveals to us the reason why Socotra has been wrapped up with an aura of mystery for centuries. Even today the challenging and often hostile environment dominated by dramatic pinnacles, impressive gorges, semi-arid landscapes, and unreal Dragon’s blood trees contributes to making this land one of the most unique on Earth.
“We decided to explore this remote island attracted by its incredible endemic flora and otherworld landscapes, but the warmth and hospitality of Socotri people have been even more astonishing.” -Montanus
Learn more about Montanus at www.montanuswild.com.
