1 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,150 DAN CRUICKSHANK: This is a journey to reveal the architecture of our dreams. 2 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,030 Of cities that dare to imagine a new civilisation. 3 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,790 Ancient structures that assert their modernity. 4 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,830 Dreams of hidden kingdoms 5 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,150 and forgotten worlds. 6 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,270 And dreams that turn to nightmare. 7 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,430 This is the Yemeni desert, on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. 8 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,230 A place rooted in the past, but which dreamt of the future. 9 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,590 This mythic and ancient land was home to buildings 10 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,510 created way ahead of their time, striking, visionary architecture. 11 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,830 Here, they reached for the sky. These were the first skyscrapers. 12 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:51,310 This is Shibam, known as the Manhattan of the desert. 13 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,550 There's been a city here for 2,500 years. 14 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,710 Constructed on a raised plateau, Shibam sits within a fertile oasis. 15 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,830 Beyond, there's only desert and mountains. 16 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,590 The city hasn't changed much since the 16th century. 17 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,550 Every time one of these towering houses becomes derelict, 18 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:29,990 it's rebuilt in traditional manner. 19 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,790 There are around 500 of these houses within the city wall. 20 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,790 This is a Shibam sidah, the only gate into the city. 21 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,990 It's very well fortified. 22 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:57,350 The tall, central arch was for camels and, I suppose, caravans, 23 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:02,990 and the small one for donkeys and humans, pedestrians. 24 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,870 Shibam appears timeless, almost biblical. 25 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,710 And the city rises high with ancient structures 26 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,230 because of its peculiar location. 27 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,870 When more homes were needed, Shibam couldn't extpand horizontally. 28 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,710 Building outside the city walls and off the raised plateau 29 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,190 would have made the new buildings vulnerable to attack, to floods, 30 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:38,430 and also would have used up valuable fertile land. 31 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,350 So when all the building plots in the town had been built upon, 32 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,950 the only way to go was upwards. 33 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,950 Each tower is lived in by one family. 34 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,310 But unlike the modern high-rise, 35 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,110 these towers are not made of concrete and steel, 36 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,030 but are built with a more modest material. 37 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,510 Mud! 38 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,630 Bricks are made on the edge of town, just next to palm groves, 39 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,870 and this is a brickworks. 40 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,270 It's an amazing, timeless scene. 41 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:46,110 Bricks have been made like this in the Middle East for 10,000 years at least. 42 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:52,790 Here we have rich alluvial soil, dug from around the palms, 43 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,750 being mixed with hay and wheat chaff and with water, 44 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:59,750 to make this wonderful mud. 45 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,430 The only thing that's changed round here 46 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,470 is the fact that there's a petrol pump over there getting water from a well. 47 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,670 Because until recently, that would have been done using a donkey. 48 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,350 CRUICKSHANK: How long does it take for the bricks to dry in the sun? 49 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,790 -Three days. -Three days? Three days. 50 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,550 How many bricks can your team make in one day? 51 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,510 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 52 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,990 -Three thousand. -Three thousand? That's an awful lot. 53 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,150 Can I try making one? Yeah, me. 54 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,390 This is one of those great experiences. 55 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,550 I'm doing something that man has done for thousands of years. 56 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:49,830 Incredibly moving. 57 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,470 This is what my ancestors have done. 58 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,750 Well, it's quite difficult, actually, to fill it properly. 59 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:57,910 (CHUCKLING) 60 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,670 It's a skill. It's definitely a skill. 61 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,550 And, of course, incredibly satisfying. 62 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,190 Getting one's hands dirty, making sort of mud pies. 63 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,470 Oh, dear, I'm going to ruin the team's reputation. 64 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:14,790 (LAUGHING) 65 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,670 Not a natural-born brick-maker. Well, I knew that anyway. 66 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:19,510 (LAUGHING) 67 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:21,430 Um, how have I done? 68 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,990 You don't have to tell the truth. Just lie. Say they're great. 69 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,150 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 70 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,590 Okay, I'll do better next time. 71 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,670 Oh, well, he's leaving them. Okay. 72 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,470 I've done it. 73 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:40,830 They're not rejected. How amazing! 74 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,390 After three days in the sun, the mud bricks are dry 75 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,910 and ready to be used in the city. 76 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:04,590 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 77 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,230 And here's one of the bricks, tile-like. 78 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,470 Lovely thing, dried in the sun. 79 00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:44,710 I shall give it to the master bricklayer here. 80 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,190 I've been invited to visit a typical Shibam house. 81 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:13,710 I'm intrigued to see how a modern Muslim family 82 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,590 lives in one of these ancient buildings. 83 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,550 (BOTH SPEAKING ARABIC) 84 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:26,870 Oh. 85 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:28,910 Ah! 86 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,790 (BOTH SPEAKING ARABIC) 87 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:32,230 Thank you. 88 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:34,190 Oh, ah! 89 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:37,510 Weapons. 90 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,270 Oh, what a wonderful room. 91 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,550 Wonderful plasterwork. 92 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:45,870 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 93 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:46,990 Hello. 94 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:50,870 Um, golly. 95 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:54,870 Now, how is this room used? 96 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,830 How was it used, and how is it used today? 97 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,230 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 98 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,750 What's it like to maintain a house built of mud bricks? 99 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,510 Is it very expensive, difficult to maintain? 100 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,190 Can I please see more of the house? 101 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,030 Okay. 102 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:54,470 Lovely. 103 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,030 Okay. Oh! 104 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,070 It's got an open-plan interior, very modern, 105 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,310 with the main structure, the beams and joists, carried on these columns. 106 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,310 It's like a sort of 20th-century frame structure. 107 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,270 And what's incredible is you have these windows. 108 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,990 Originally, these would have been open. This is all glass put in now. 109 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,190 But this is for ventilation. 110 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:43,110 Cool air comes in at the low level through the windows, 111 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,590 and pushes the hot air out through these openings. 112 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:49,270 All the houses have this very nice 113 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,750 sort of sensible, natural form of ventilation. 114 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:54,390 Very brilliant. 115 00:12:01,680 --> 00:12:03,590 Oh, a lot of people. 116 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:05,630 Hello. 117 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,430 Oh, lovely. How very comfortable. It's like a terrace. 118 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,270 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 119 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,630 This is wonderful. Marvellous. 120 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,190 What a wonderful view of nature over there. 121 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:32,910 Ah. 122 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,670 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 123 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:37,630 Lovely chai. 124 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:41,190 Mmm. 125 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,750 Delicious, pungent, sweet. Very restorative. 126 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,790 Just what a chap needs in the evening. 127 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:48,990 Mmm. 128 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:54,870 Shibam's a marvellous historic city, but it's no arid museum piece. 129 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,270 It's full of vitality, authenticity, wonderful sense of life. 130 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,990 Here we are on the terrace, gathered together in the evening, 131 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:03,550 drinking tea. 132 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,270 And there's wonderful sort of aromas. 133 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,550 Frankincense, myrrh and, of course, the sheep and goats. 134 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,270 And terrific noises, sounds, music. 135 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,750 This really is a living dream. 136 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,910 I absolutely love it here. 137 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,990 Among the islands of the Caribbean lies the Dominican Republic. 138 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,510 It may look like a sleepy tropical paradise, 139 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,830 but 500 years ago, this small island would become 140 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,830 one of the most influential places on Earth. 141 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:33,590 I'm on my way to see the first European-founded city in the New World, 142 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:38,790 to see how dreams of empire transformed an entire continent. 143 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:44,510 It's a city in which imperial dreams, imperial aspirations, 144 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,910 are etched into the very fabric. 145 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,950 It's a city that changed the world. 146 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,470 The story begins with Christopher Columbus' voyage 147 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,350 to the Americas in 1492. 148 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,550 He set off in search of a new route to the East, 149 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,870 but he and his crew landed instead on this island. 150 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:29,350 It was no easy task putting down roots in an alien and dangerous land. 151 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:33,590 In fact, in the early years, the colonists suffered terribly. 152 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,550 The first settlement, just down the coast from here, 153 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,110 was destroyed, probably by the islanders. 154 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,110 No one's quite sure, but when Columbus returned, 155 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:47,550 the people he'd left behind had gone, disappeared. 156 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,950 They were never heard of again. 157 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,390 A second wave of colonists clung on in a temporary settlement, 158 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,390 ravished by malaria and yellow fever. 159 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,950 But they nursed greater ambitions. 160 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,990 Columbus' men hadn't found a route to the East, 161 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:18,830 but they had found a new land and they were determined to make it theirs. 162 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,230 So they wanted to make their mark on the landscape, 163 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,030 to build a great city to make it clear that they were here to stay, 164 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,350 their presence was permanent. 165 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,070 What they created was Santo Domingo. 166 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:43,230 Founded in 1501, the city's now a bustling metropolis 167 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,350 of over two million people. 168 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,670 But extraordinary traces of the original city remain. 169 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,030 This is sensational. Really is. 170 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:07,630 It's a forgotten hidden gem. 171 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,590 This house must date from the 1540s. 172 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,830 What a fantastic door surround. Stone. And look at this. 173 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,870 It has these tremendous, gnarled, weathered medallions, 174 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,190 I suppose, of Roman emperors. 175 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,510 And at the very heart of the city sits Santo Domingo's most important building, 176 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,430 the first cathedral of the Americas. 177 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,350 This is the main entrance to the cathedral, the west front, 178 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:45,550 designed in a rather mannered classical style, known as Plateresque, 179 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,190 because its detail's inspired by the design of silver plate. 180 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:53,790 Now, the horizontal carved frieze up there is very intriguing. 181 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,550 It shows the trials and tribulations faced by the Spaniards 182 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,030 as they sailed here. 183 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:01,910 There are frightful sea monsters there, 184 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,070 and in that corner, what I am told are wanton nymphs. 185 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,230 And inside, the building's Gothic, 186 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,190 with its ribbed vaults and pointed arches. 187 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:26,950 And look at the scale of it. 188 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,630 Just imagine how impressive this would have been, 189 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,750 when new, this religious architecture of the Old World, 190 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:38,870 suddenly arriving here in the New World, in this strange and alien land. 191 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:44,430 And being stone-vaulted, it would have been a tremendous sort of sacred vessel, 192 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:50,030 a sounding board for the Mass, as chanted by the priests. 193 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,150 But the real significance of Santo Domingo 194 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,870 lies not in its individual buildings. 195 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,750 It lies in the very layout of the city. 196 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,710 The layout is like a coded diagram of the beliefs and ideals 197 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:26,910 of the men that created it. 198 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:47,110 Spreading out from the cathedral square is a right-angular grid, 199 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,310 dividing the city into neat blocks. 200 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,350 Its inspiration lay in ancient Roman and Greek town planning, 201 00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,950 as rediscovered in the Renaissance. 202 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:06,710 And its rational geometry was intended to express order and control. 203 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,950 The virtues of the grid plan spread across the Americas 204 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,430 through a set of rules called the Laws of the Indies. 205 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,550 It would become the most important planning document in human history. 206 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:36,150 The conquest of the Americas was launched from here, 207 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,510 spreading Spanish influence and the grid plan. 208 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,030 It may seem extraordinary, 209 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:45,270 but Santo Domingo provided the blueprint for a new civilisation. 210 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,070 But the colonists' dream of order and prosperity 211 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,270 was a nightmare for others. 212 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:03,270 This is the Alcázar de Colón, the viceroy's fortified palace. 213 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,590 This is the great chamber. 214 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:18,070 Incredible to think that from this room, for some years, 215 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,350 the Spanish empire of the New World was ruled. 216 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,350 This was the epicentre of Spanish power. 217 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,270 This is a beautiful piece of architecture, 218 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:41,190 but it's also the monument to the power of one people over another. 219 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,870 And that relationship was present even during construction. 220 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,510 The designers were Spanish master masons, 221 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:52,470 but the workforce was over a thousand local islanders. 222 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:57,270 And to realise this design, they were virtually enslaved. 223 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,750 And when the islanders started dying in droves, 224 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,150 labour was shipped in from Africa. 225 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,550 The trans-Atlantic slave trade began here. 226 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:17,630 Tobacco was another native resource exploited by the Spanish. 227 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,270 Now cigars are one of the country's most famous exports. 228 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,750 Hi. Hello. Franklin, hi. How are you? 229 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,670 Okay. So, can I have a go? 230 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,310 Yeah. Sit down. 231 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,110 -Right, put it all in here? Yeah? -Okay. Yes. 232 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,630 CRUICKSHANK: That's kind of not too bad so far. 233 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,150 Push it down. 234 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,870 Now you pull that over. 235 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,070 Then hold it like that. 236 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,070 Not... Ah, to there? 237 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,030 Oh, I hold that there? 238 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,870 -Finish. -Right to the end? 239 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,310 -Yes, okay. -And now back. 240 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:57,550 Okay, oh. 241 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,110 That's looking kind of... It's almost there, isn't it? 242 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,150 (LAUGHING) 243 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,270 And then I stick it in the guillotine and cut my finger off. 244 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,150 A little bit odd, this cigar. Rather eccentric. 245 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,350 A novel cigar, but damn it, it's mine. 246 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,950 So, what do people here now think of Columbus? 247 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,190 (SPEAKING SPANISH) 248 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:03,270 So what are we to make of Columbus' troubled legacy? 249 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,630 The Spaniards were like the horsemen of the apocalypse. 250 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,350 They brought death and disease. 251 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,150 And as with all imperial powers, 252 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,470 hell did follow after them. 253 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,790 But it's very curious, isn't it? 254 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,110 Because if he hadn't come, if Spain hadn't been here, 255 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:28,630 none of this would exist. 256 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,390 This is now a fusion of cultures, a mix of people, 257 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:36,790 and it seems to be a very healthy, very lively, very tolerant one. 258 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,990 (MERENGUE MUSIC PLAYING) 259 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,270 This is merengue, 260 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,630 a mixture of Spanish and African musical influences, 261 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,270 born here in the Dominican Republic. 262 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,870 And tonight, I'm going to experience a little cultural fusion firsthand. 263 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,750 Santo Domingo is a realisation of a ruthless dream. 264 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,270 But it's also a model of civilisation, 265 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:39,910 a city that continues to be an inspiration to the world. 266 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:15,270 This is Philadelphia, on the east coast of America, 267 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,750 a city that once dreamed of constructing society anew. 268 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,030 The American Declaration of Independence was adopted here in 1776. 269 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,070 In the years that followed, 270 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,590 these streets were awash with revolutionary fervour. 271 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,230 But of all the buildings to emerge from this time of heady idealism, 272 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,990 the biggest, the boldest and the most impressive 273 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,230 was a prison! 274 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,990 Eastern State Penitentiary, opened in 1829. 275 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,430 This wasn't just a building, but an expression of a mission, 276 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,990 a mission to solve society's ills. 277 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,830 The castle-like exterior may look intimidating, severe and daunting, 278 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:16,350 but surprisingly, for those who created the prison, 279 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,230 it was to be a place of hope, an expression of a belief 280 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,030 that goodness lurks in even the darkest of souls. 281 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:46,430 The century before, prisons had been brutal and violent places. 282 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,950 They were overcrowded, corrupting and disease-ridden. 283 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,470 Beatings and physical punishment were the norm. 284 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:02,470 Abuse was rife. 285 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,270 New prisoners would be robbed by existing prisoners, 286 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:07,550 and if the new prisoners didn't have any money, 287 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:11,590 they'd be relieved of their clothes and end up virtually naked. 288 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,630 With Eastern State, all that was about to change. 289 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:35,470 The prison's now an amazingly evocative ruin. 290 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,830 A stabilised ruin, I'm told, 291 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,790 but quite how one stabilises decay like this, 292 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,350 I'm not sure. 293 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,550 Time and rot are taking their toll. 294 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,670 I've never seen anything like this, really. 295 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,710 It's incredibly picturesque, incredibly romantic. 296 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:00,510 It really is one of the most powerful places I've ever been to. 297 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,270 This cellblock has a cathedral-like quality. 298 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,070 It's like being in a nave. 299 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,790 I guess religion's the key to understanding this prison. 300 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,590 Its creators had strong Quaker beliefs, 301 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,630 and they thought that, through architecture, 302 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,350 they could achieve a moral reform. 303 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:38,510 They thought prisoners here, isolated, would become introspective, 304 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,590 turn to God and see the error of their ways. 305 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:50,150 These reformers believed in the essential goodness of mankind. 306 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,590 Their dream was to create a machine for saving souls. 307 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,030 They didn't see this as a place of punishment, 308 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:00,390 but somewhere where prisoners would achieve redemption 309 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,830 through solitude and reflection. 310 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,670 The first prisoners arrived in the autumn of 1829. 311 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:16,030 Amongst them, Charles Williams, an 18-year-old farmer 312 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,750 found guilty of stealing a gold watch. 313 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:27,550 Beginning his solitary confinement, he was led to his cell in a hood 314 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,270 to keep him free from the contamination of other inmates. 315 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,310 And here he spent the next two years. 316 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:44,510 This cell's a modern reconstruction, and it makes a very powerful impression. 317 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:50,590 Williams would have been alone for month after month after month. 318 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,550 He wasn't allowed to see other prisoners. 319 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,910 He was forbidden visitors. Not even his family could see him. 320 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,550 There was no reading matter apart from the Bible, 321 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,350 a book he would have got to know very well indeed. 322 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,270 He was allowed a certain amount of honest labour, 323 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,430 making chairs, carpentry, mending shoes. 324 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,830 And there was virtually no daylight. 325 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,990 The light coming through this grille wouldn't have been there in his time. 326 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,630 There would have been an oaken door beyond. 327 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,910 All he had was a little porthole in the vault. 328 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,790 Through that, he would have measured time. 329 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,310 The prisoners called that porthole "the eye of God". 330 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:46,670 Behind each cell, and connected via the metal grille door, 331 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,510 was a high-walled, pen-like exercise yard. 332 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:55,350 And into this space a prisoner would be released twice a day, 333 00:31:55,440 --> 00:32:00,110 each period of exercise lasting a mere half an hour. 334 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:05,110 He would, from here, get a view of the sky, 335 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:09,510 but each cell has its own individual exercise yard, 336 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:13,030 so even here the prisoner would have been alone. 337 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,630 Surveillance was of prime importance. 338 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:43,030 From this central observation tower radiate a series of cellblocks, 339 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,950 and guards down below here could monitor movement in each block 340 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:52,030 by looking down the corridors that run through the centre of each one. 341 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:56,670 So this represents a new rational theory 342 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,790 about the housing and treatment of prisoners, 343 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:04,750 and that made Eastern State Penitentiary of intent interest at the time. 344 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:09,790 It was greatly admired and became the most influential prison in the world. 345 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:21,430 But what was intended to make men good often simply made them mad. 346 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,030 In 1842, Charles Dickens visited the prison. 347 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:51,190 He was horrified by the effects of solitary confinement on its inmates. 348 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:57,310 He wrote in his American Notes for General Circulation that he found 349 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:02,190 "the slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain 350 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:06,550 "to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body." 351 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,310 As far as he was concerned, 352 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,870 the penitentiary was hopeless, cruel and wrong. 353 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:27,830 Solitary confinement is now recognised as a way of breaking down human resolve, 354 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:32,670 of causing loss of identity, disorientation. 355 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:37,430 And in jails today, it's regarded as a very severe form of punishment. 356 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:42,270 One does wonder what the authorities were thinking about here originally. 357 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,790 Many of the inmates must have been very mentally fragile. 358 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:52,030 Even if the authorities' intentions were good, 359 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:56,430 they clearly must have caused immense psychological damage. 360 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:08,510 Gradually at Eastern State, attitudes to incarceration softened. 361 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:13,870 But one prisoner who arrived in 1958 still found it an awful place. 362 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,630 One day I made a mistake. 363 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:21,550 -I robbed. -Yeah. 364 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:23,830 I was the Hooded Bandit. 365 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,070 That's what they called me. 366 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:32,150 "The Hooded Bandit steals $7,000 payroll, with money to burn." 367 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,270 CRUICKSHANK: And we're in this cell because this was your first cell? 368 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,670 BOBBY: My first cell, yeah, 18 cell, here on 10 block. 369 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,390 CRUICKSHANK: What did it make you feel like, 370 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:42,990 living in a room without a proper window? 371 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,870 It was enclosed. You throw it right out of your mind. 372 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:48,430 You block that off, you know. 373 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,350 You're just confined. 374 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,950 Did you know everybody who lived on your block, so to speak? 375 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,430 I knew everybody who lived on this block, yeah. 376 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,270 Oh, right? So, who was in this cell, for example? 377 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,390 -Oh, Stumpy. -Stumpy? 378 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,150 Yeah. From Harrisburg. 379 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:06,950 Right. So, what was he in here for? 380 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:08,150 Homicide. 381 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:10,870 Oh, really? For life, another long one. 382 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:12,630 What was the atmosphere like in the block at night, 383 00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:14,550 after the lights had been turned off? 384 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:16,350 It was very quiet. 385 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,430 The only thing you could hear at night sometimes 386 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:23,190 was somebody crying out for mama or praying. 387 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:27,070 "Lord, I didn't mean it." But he had done it. 388 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,550 So you had to do your time, you come in here. 389 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,710 You could hear different inmates crying at night. 390 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:40,070 You might have thought they were grown men, but they cried like babies. 391 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:45,230 Eastern State shut in 1971. 392 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:53,950 During the 19th century, it changed the form of prisons all over the globe. 393 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:59,350 But today it stands as a monument to the tyranny of ideals. 394 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,710 The kingdom of Bhutan, tucked away in the Himalayas, 395 00:37:45,240 --> 00:37:48,390 is a secret land isolated from the modern world. 396 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:55,310 Here the king has a dream, to embrace the past. 397 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,350 And he's using architecture to achieve his vision. 398 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,910 The king's dream for Bhutan should produce 399 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,990 a sort of utopia that I'd like to live in, 400 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:06,910 where conserving the past is more important 401 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:11,310 than the implementation of the ruthless demands of modernisation. 402 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,470 But to realise such a bold dream has involved some very strict enforcement. 403 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,350 And I'm going to go and see how it all works. 404 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:26,310 I'm on the road to Thimpu, the capital city of Bhutan. 405 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,870 As I travel, the mountains and valleys all around me 406 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,990 are full of glorious traditional architecture. 407 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,910 Thimpu is one of the smallest capitals that I've visited, 408 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,470 and certainly the only one without any traffic lights. 409 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:07,030 With only one main street, Thimpu is certainly modest. 410 00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:16,790 But on the outskirts is an architectural glory. 411 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,550 This is the most important building in Bhutan. 412 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,070 It's called the Trashi Chhoe Dzong, 413 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,670 which means the Fortress of Glorious Religion. 414 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:33,190 It's where the king, the government and the chief abbot are based, 415 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:36,950 which means that all matters secular and religious 416 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,950 are decided and controlled from this powerhouse. 417 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:04,630 And within the mighty wall is this huge courtyard. 418 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,190 What a glorious space. 419 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:12,510 Over there are the quarters occupied by the king and the government, 420 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:14,830 and this side is monastic. 421 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:20,030 And indeed, I can hear these horns. The monks at their morning prayer. 422 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,750 You can tell they're monastic buildings 423 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:26,110 because they have these deep red stripes painted on them, called Khamar. 424 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:27,830 Golly. 425 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:31,030 And all around, one has nature. 426 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,310 The hills, now topped with clouds. 427 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:35,950 It's wonderful. 428 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,110 But not all is as it seems. 429 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,750 The greatest secret of this building is its age. 430 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:50,270 It looks ancient. 431 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,190 And, in fact, there was a dzong built on this site in the late 18th century, 432 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:58,230 but virtually everything you see now dates from the 1960s. 433 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:02,110 It's incredible. It reveals so much about Bhutan. 434 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,870 History is so revered here that all modern buildings 435 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,190 must pay tribute to the past. 436 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:25,430 And not just their exteriors, but their interiors, too. 437 00:41:30,240 --> 00:41:33,030 This is the assembly hall for the monks, 438 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,750 and is, rather obviously, under repair. 439 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,750 It's an incredible room, carvings everywhere 440 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:43,870 and beautiful paintings. 441 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:48,350 And in front of me, the great, giant image of the Buddha, 442 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,990 the main image of the Buddha in this fortress monastery. 443 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,510 The dzong was just a start. 444 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:01,590 In the 1980s, the king issued a set of architectural rules 445 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,870 that would keep ancient building traditions alive. 446 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,910 And dotted around Thimpu are buildings that evoke the old Bhutan 447 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:11,990 with startling accuracy. 448 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:18,550 And it didn't stop at buildings. 449 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,670 The king also decreed that everyone should wear national costume. 450 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,830 I decided I had to get myself kitted out. 451 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:30,830 How much do I have to take off in this rather public place? 452 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,070 MERCHANT: How much ever you like. 453 00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:36,910 Seems surprisingly easy. I thought I was gonna be more... 454 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:38,390 Almost seems like it's too big. 455 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,030 Oh, I see, you're pulling down the sleeves... 456 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:42,150 Turn around. 457 00:42:42,240 --> 00:42:46,630 This is a frightful moment to turn. Maybe my girth is giving me away. 458 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:48,470 So, what happens if, in a public place, 459 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:50,950 one doesn't wear this, but wears Western clothes? 460 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,190 Is one fined by the police or something like that? 461 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,190 MERCHANT: Only to enforce the rules among the younger people. 462 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:01,470 -Yeah. -It was fined about seven dollars. 463 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:03,950 Seven dollars for wearing jeans in public? 464 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:05,750 Uh, yeah, in public. 465 00:43:05,840 --> 00:43:09,750 But now it is no more. It is not... It isn't happening. 466 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,870 -It was just to reinforce the rule. -Yeah. 467 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:16,710 MERCHANT: Nice legs. 468 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:18,910 It's a long time since someone said that to me. 469 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,550 We also want modernisation to happen, but not at the cost of... 470 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:24,670 Yes. 471 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:27,070 At the cost of this culture. 472 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:29,030 Seems to be perfect. Isn't this emblematic... 473 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:34,870 Here we are. The fabric's made here, it's your style of clothes and... 474 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:37,430 It's very comfortable. It's not old, it's not new. 475 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:39,990 It's just a functional garment, and actually amazing. 476 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:42,630 -Looks very well on you. -Oh, thank you. Does it? 477 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:45,510 Yes, she says it looks very well on you. 478 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:05,510 In the evening, downtown Thimpu is a bit tamer than your average Western city. 479 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:13,310 The most popular pastime is carrom, 480 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:15,710 a sort of complicated shove ha'penny. 481 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,670 But I'm in for one surprise. 482 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:36,030 In 1999, the king decided television, even satellite television, 483 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:39,310 wouldn't threaten the country's cultural identity. 484 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,910 So most households in Thimpu now have a television set. 485 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,350 Thimpu is the modern face of Bhutan. 486 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:51,190 If I wanted to see the world the king is trying to preserve, even rebuild, 487 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:53,790 I would have to travel out of town. 488 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:15,390 Next morning, I head for a remote corner of the kingdom, 489 00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:18,270 a five-hour drive away from the capital. 490 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:39,590 Well, I've finally arrived at the village of Shengana, 491 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:43,350 after a rather long and bumpy ride, and there is a welcoming committee for me. 492 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:46,110 My goodness, I didn't expect this. 493 00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:58,110 I join on behind the children. 494 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,750 These chaps, all the time, amazing, blowing their massive horns. 495 00:46:33,240 --> 00:46:35,670 (SINGING IN BHUTANESE DIALECT) 496 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,310 (EXCLAIMING LOUDLY) 497 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:54,470 Thank you. 498 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:57,990 I suppose this is the house I've come to see. 499 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:00,310 That's why the procession led me here. 500 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:03,350 That little ceremony was to appease the local deity, 501 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:06,430 to protect the house, to protect the inhabitants and to protect me, 502 00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:08,590 which is very thoughtful of them, isn't it? 503 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:12,230 The building is amazing. Very big, and certainly looks its age. 504 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:15,950 I've been told it's between 200 and 300 years old. 505 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,590 Obviously the house, originally, of a rather well-to-do farmer. 506 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,190 And I suppose somewhere here is my host and hostess, 507 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,910 who'll be entertaining me later on. 508 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:27,790 Wonderful building, I must say. 509 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:32,870 Beaten earth construction and timber above. 510 00:47:32,960 --> 00:47:37,390 All the detail exposed because the paint has flaked off. 511 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:46,310 The traditional Bhutanese home is perfectly tailored to the needs 512 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,190 of the local farmers. 513 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:52,070 The ground floor is occupied by their cattle, 514 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:56,030 who retire into the house at night, safe from mountain tigers. 515 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:12,190 It's rather like clambering aboard a ship this, up this rickety staircase. 516 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:14,790 And there's the front door over there. 517 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:18,550 And, ah, well, the painted phalluses may have faded 518 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:21,710 on the outside of this building, but here above the door 519 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:25,310 is a phallus, in fact, four, in wood, forming a cross. 520 00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:29,310 Of course, it's there to ward off evil spirits, 521 00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:31,950 but nevertheless, I will go inside. 522 00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:35,630 Hello. 523 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:36,950 (SPEAKING BHUTANESE DIALECT) 524 00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:39,870 Can I have a little look at your house, please? 525 00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:41,790 Is that all right if I have a wander around? 526 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:45,710 Then I'll, I believe, join you a bit later for a meal. 527 00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:48,430 Oh, the stairs is over here, is it? 528 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:52,990 Golly, staircase is one way of putting it. 529 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:56,950 This is simply a plank, virtually a half a tree, 530 00:48:57,040 --> 00:49:01,870 just with foot and hand holds sort of cut out of it. 531 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:04,830 Um, oh, it's not too bad, actually. 532 00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,030 Now, what can this room be? 533 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:15,710 Ah, here we are. Of course, it's like the family chapel. 534 00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:18,150 Here's a Buddhist shrine. 535 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:20,510 The people of Bhutan remain very religious, 536 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,030 and most houses have their own shrines. 537 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:25,990 This one is very well appointed. 538 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:28,030 Very beautiful. 539 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:35,630 I return, hello, having inspected your wonderful ancient house. 540 00:49:35,720 --> 00:49:38,150 I'll sit here. Thank you. 541 00:49:38,240 --> 00:49:40,590 Oh, thank you. Keep my shoes on. 542 00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:41,750 Oh! 543 00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:45,230 So... 544 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:49,750 These are all the local farmers, are they? 545 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:51,630 Yes, they are all farmers from the village. 546 00:49:51,720 --> 00:49:55,030 They are all cousins, relatives and members of the family. 547 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:57,470 Yes, and how many people actually live in this house? 548 00:49:57,560 --> 00:49:59,510 There are seven of them. 549 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,350 Father, mother and children. Seven of them. 550 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,990 Right, and they all live, sleep in this big room? 551 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:08,310 So the beds come out at night, after this, 552 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,750 and everyone goes to sleep. Incredible. 553 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:14,750 The main living room, also the kitchen, I see. 554 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:17,990 People are happy with this, you know, the continuity, 555 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:21,590 with the traditional ways of life can be going on and on? 556 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:23,630 LOTEY: Yes, people are happy, very happy, 557 00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:25,470 with the life that they lead here, 558 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:28,790 because once in a while they do get to go out to the urban city, 559 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:31,550 and they see the chaos life there. 560 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:32,710 Yes. 561 00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:34,630 And they're very happy with the life here. 562 00:50:34,720 --> 00:50:38,750 It is truly a very Buddhist sentiment, to live a very basic life. 563 00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:43,710 You make do with what you have, and you make do with what is enough. 564 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:48,630 -Let's begin with the rice. -This is what I really want to get... 565 00:50:48,720 --> 00:50:50,750 -Red rice. -Red rice, yes. 566 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,310 Bhutan is a fascinating experiment, 567 00:50:57,400 --> 00:51:02,350 a radical attempt to keep the past alive in a modern and often alarming world. 568 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:10,270 I know it wouldn't suit everyone, but to me it seems admirable. 569 00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:14,790 Architecture can make dreams come true.