01x05 - God's Playground

[bunniefuu]

[chanting]

[heartfelt music playing along chanting]

[Idris Elba] For some,

games are a spiritual experience.

But for others, they are more than that.

They see playing as a religion.

A religion that takes us closer to nature

or high up into the heavens.

Even the Olympic Games

began as a religious ceremony.

[joyful music playing]

[Elba] Thousands of years later,

the line between sport

and religion is still blurred.

The greatest players in the world

are worshiped like gods.

[sports commentator

speaking indistinctly in Spanish]

[commentator] This is great!

Maradona goes in and goal, goal!

[Elba, in English] Their special powers

are celebrated.

And like gods,

their actions inspire millions.

[screaming in excitement]

[Elba] Whether you are watching them

or playing them,

these games are the ultimate

religious experience.

[uplifting music playing]

[Elba] These are more

than just playgrounds.

These are God's Playgrounds.

Some people look for spiritual experiences

by taking themselves

as far away from others as possible.

They venture high into the mountains,

to places where humans can barely survive.

[inspiring music slowly creeping in]

[wind blowing]

[heavy footsteps]

[Elba] Here, the afterlife beckons.

Estimates put the average death toll on

Mont Blanc alone at around 100 per year.

Climbing these peaks

is not just a test of endurance,

it's also a place

to face your fear of death.

[Blaise, in French]

In this universe of the high mountains

man is small,

and the universe is very large.

We're the sons and daughters

of the mountain.

And here we feel it.

It's a place where we have the chance

to feel this relation with the universe.

You're always in pain.

You're cold, your feet are freezing,

your hands are freezing,

you have a heavy backpack.

The pain will be too much,

but I'll have the support

of my companion in the rope chain.

To cross the pain barrier,

there should be companionship.

- [Clementine] I don't feel confident.

- [Blaise] Take your time.

[Clementine straining

and speaking indistinctly]

[pants]

[Blaise] Stay on the right.

[grunts]

- [Clementine] Great.

- [Blaise] No, that was not great.

It's just that

you have to find your balance.

[Clementine]

It's a relationship that I need.

Perhaps, with respect to my past,

I have found someone

who I can count and lean on.

I lost my father in an avalanche

in the Himalayas in 2005.

I was 16 back then.

It's difficult to explain

why we keep mountaineering

especially after we have lost

loved ones in this environment. [exhales]

I'd love to know the answer to this.

- [director] You okay?

- Mm-hmm.

You can't protect yourself from death.

You rather accept it.

But here, I get the impression

that we're together.

You must also accept death.

At least a little

or you won't be able to come here.

[gentle music playing]

[Elba, in English]

Blaise is an expedition leader

of the High Mountain Rescue Force.

He was part of the attempt

to rescue Clementine's father.

[Blaise, in French]

Mountain rescue is a place

where we are often

face to face with death

when we meet families of victims

who lost a son, a husband, or a wife.

When you see the fragility of something,

it gives more value to life.

[Clementine]

We learn that life is precious and short.

We're obliged to adapt

in the face of the enormous mountains

which have been here since the beginning.

What I like when I am here is

um, that I think about my father.

I don't only think about him

when I'm in the mountains,

but here, I get the impression

that we're together.

Um and finally I get closer to him,

and I understand what he went through.

[wind blowing]

[Elba, in English] Mountaineers

like Clementine and Blaise

are dwarfed by this landscape.

Mere dots on this epic playground.

They are part of nature.

Like the rocks.

The snow.

And the clouds.

- [Blaise, in French] Great.

- [Clementine] My feet hurt.

[Blaise] Come on, it's good.

No, it's okay.

You lift your left foot

instead of your hand, as soon as it hurts.

[Clementine panting]

[Clementine] Very high?

[Blaise] Yeah, if you can get it there,

that would be good.

- Great.

- [Clementine pants]

[Blaise] There,

you push hard on your left foot.

It will allow you to get out and you will

put your foot on the hole there.

Come on.

There you have it. It's done.

[Clementine] Okay.

[Clementine pants]

- [Blaise] Great. Well done.

- [Clementine chuckles]

[Blaise] It's done now.

- [Clementine] Can I put both feet there?

- [Blaise] Yeah, then come and stand there.

[Clementine] It's wet here.

[Blaise] If you press with your shoes,

it shouldn't slip too much.

[Clementine speaks indistinctly]

[distant, tense music playing]

[Clementine] Hello.

Hold on.

[Blaise] Yeah.

- That rock is wobbly.

- [Clementine] This one?

[Blaise] Yeah.

I'm sure you'll make it fall

if you push too hard.

You are exhausting your arms.

Rest your arms by sitting down.

[Clementine grunts]

- [Blaise] Are you okay?

- Yeah.

[chuckles softly]

[grunts]

[wind blowing]

[Blaise] Let's go. Two small steps.

And the last small steps.

[Clementine] I lost the

[Blaise] Let's go.

One, two, and

three.

[chuckles]

[Clementine laughs nervously]

[Blaise] This is real happiness.

- That's cool.

- [Clementine pants]

[both laughing]

[heartfelt music playing]

[Elba, in English]

For Clementine and Blaise,

mountaineering is not just a game.

It's a unique feeling

of neither joy or pleasure.

They climb physically

and spiritually.

The people of the Indonesian island

of Sumba communicate with their gods

via the ocean.

Legend has it

the tiny sea worms in the water

are able to signal God's will.

Like hundreds of little messengers.

[indistinct chatter]

[Elba] When the worms are fat,

the gods bless the Sumbanese

with an abundant rice crop.

[indistinct chatter]

[Elba] But this year, the worms are thin.

A grim omen.

[evocative music playing]

[Elba] Not all hope is lost.

In search of divine fortune,

the islanders play an ancient game

to appease their gods.

In the valley of Wanokaka,

Yesi and Nando are members

of opposing tribes.

Tomorrow, they go to w*r

against each other.

[horse neighing]

First, they prepare

their sandalwood ponies.

[in Indonesian] See you, bro.

[Elba, in English] On the b*ttlefield,

they will attempt to please their gods

and change their fortunes.

[Nando, in Indonesian]

I think friendship is important,

but culture is also important.

[Elba, in English] According to legend,

a local feud between a chief

and his cheating wife

resulted in a battle between the tribes.

It was so epic, they created a game

that replays the fight blow-by-blow.

It's called Pasola.

A play fight, but a very dangerous one.

The tribes faced off,

armed with sharp spears.

When the remote island

was colonized by the Dutch,

religious festivals like Pasola

were seen as superstitious and barbaric.

The spirits the Sumbanese worshiped

were replaced by a single Christian god.

But after the Dutch left,

the islanders were free to play

their spiritual games once again.

[Nando, in Indonesian] These are

the spears that we use for Pasola.

Made of lamtoro wood.

This is how you hold it.

The spear.

You aim for your enemy like this.

If the tip is too sharp,

you might k*ll someone.

[traditional music playing]

[Elba, in English]

Dungu Ratu is a so-called ratu,

someone who communicates

to the Marapu gods through prayer.

[in old Indonesian] And although some

family members embrace Christianity,

we still worship Marapu.

[Elba, in English] Only a few islanders

are able to speak the old language.

Dungu asks for guidance

and blesses the players

who will battle in tomorrow's game.

[speaking in old Indonesian]

[Elba, in English] The islanders believe

the gods communicate through the blood

of a sacrificial chicken.

[in old Indonesian] There is no bad sign,

only a part of the blood that's clotted.

There's a lot of good signs in the middle.

This feather is one

you need to keep in mind.

These two feathers are your enemies.

You're standing right here. Pay attention.

[Elba, in English]

It's the day of the festival.

No mother wishes to see

her son leave for battle

not knowing what might happen.

[in Indonesian] Lord in the kingdom

of heaven, please protect your child.

Take care, my child.

[Elba, in English] Across the valley,

Nando's friend Yesi

also prepares his warhorse.

Today these two firm friends

must become enemies.

[Yesi, in Indonesian] In the morning,

I wake up and say a little prayer.

I hope I won't get injured

or stabbed by a spear.

[Elba, in English] It's time.

Spearmen from both tribes meet

and head to the traditional b*ttlefield.

[men cheering]

[percussive music playing]

[men yelling]

[Elba] In the distant past,

Pasola was played with real spears.

It was an honor to spill blood

or even die on the b*ttlefield.

To stop the bloodshed,

the police were sent in

to curb the violence.

These days, the spears

have been replaced with sharp sticks.

It's no longer deadly,

but it still hurts if you get hit.

The tribes must strike each other

as many times as possible.

The more total hits,

the more likely the gods are

to bless both tribes with a good harvest.

In other words, either both teams win

or both teams lose.

[Nando, in Indonesian]

I am not afraid to face Yesi.

We will hold on to our friendship

and our culture.

[men chanting]

[horse neighing]

[men chanting]

[men cheering]

[exciting music playing]

[cheering]

[Elba, in English]

By the end of the match,

hundreds of wooden spears

have been thrown,

but the friendship between

Nando and Yesi remains unscarred.

However, it's not the tribespeople

who decide if the battle was a success.

That decision is made by the gods.

Now the islanders must wait patiently

to see if the gods will reward

their efforts with a bountiful harvest.

Since we can remember,

humans have played games

we hope will please our gods.

But it doesn't have to be

about impressing a divine force.

Sometimes, the most spiritual playgrounds

are a journey into ourselves.

[guru] When the body and the mind

both are released from the tension

it is the ultimate freedom

called yoga.

[Elba] In the 1970s,

idealistic young westerners

headed east in search

of a new spirituality.

[reporter] Yoga, then, is the science

of living a pure and healthy life.

Physically, mentally, and spiritually.

[Elba] In India, they discovered

the ancient tradition of yoga.

It gave them an opportunity

to find balance within themselves.

[reporter] What do you think

that you can give through yoga,

both to yourself and to the people

that you might be going back to?

Oh, peace of mind,

physical health, harmony.

[Elba] The hippies took yoga back home

where it became

a tool for self-development.

[Michael] 99.9% of human beings

don't even scratch the surface

of what they're capable of doing.

By getting out of my comfort zone,

I can experience life better

and try to access more of the potential

that I think is locked in all of us.

[Elba] This is Michael,

a competitive yogi master.

[Michael] I'm 70 years old.

I have found over the years

that my exercise routines are vital

to keep me balanced.

Everything goes back to balance.

And without the exercise,

I can't keep myself in control.

It's either exercise or drugs or alcohol.

There's many days

when I know I'm looking over the edge.

But so far, so good.

Okay, it's not working.

[Michael] My wife, she tried to get me

to do yoga seven years ago now.

We gotta celebrate your birthday today.

Instead of tomorrow.

'Cause Dad's gonna be at his competition.

And you're gonna be so old.

'Cause you're 28.

[Michael] She keeps us all together.

- Blow them out.

- Blow them out!

[Michael] And my son Sky,

he was sent to the family.

You got it!

[Michael] He keeps us all being able

to put life in perspective

and understand what's important

and what isn't.

Yeah!

- [Michael] He's an angel.

- [clapping]

Good job!

[Michael] He likes to watch.

When I can bring home a trophy or a medal,

he's thrilled to death,

so that's an incentive for me

to do well because

if I bring home a medal,

he'll put that medal on and wear it

until we make him take it off.

And that could be months.

[Elba] Michael is about to compete

in the most important event of the year.

The National Yoga Championship.

The competitors have to prove

who has the strongest spirit,

judged on flexibility, balance,

steadiness, and choreography.

[cheering and applause]

[Elba] The winner with the highest score

will compete in the world championship.

- [Myra] How are you?

- Michael.

- Myra.

- How are you?

[Myra] Nice to see you. You look great.

[Michael] I wanna win at everything I do.

Even if it's the most unreachable,

unattainable victory possible,

I go into every situation thinking,

"I wanna win it,

and there's a possibility I can win it."

I hate to lose. [chuckles softly]

Religion and competition

and spirituality and competition

usually are not used in the same sentence.

But we're trying to be

our best yoga selves on stage

in under-pressure situations.

That's a good spiritual practice

in my opinion.

There's a lot of much younger guys than me

that I'm competing against,

but I hope to give them a rude awakening.

[chuckles]

I'm always super nervous going up on stage

in front of the judges and my peers.

It's not a bad thing to be nervous,

unless the nerves win.

And I'm not gonna let 'em win.

[announcer] Representing

the state of New Hampshire,

please welcome on stage, Michael Rosa!

[applause]

[Michael] I'm trying to be calm.

"Michael, you did the work."

"You did the work.

Now go out and do what you can do."

And I focus on my breathing.

[tense music playing]

[applause]

[inaudible]

Yeah.

I'm too old for this stuff.

[chuckles softly]

I'm way too old.

You do it when you're 70, you know.

[chuckles]

[announcer] There you go, the results

are posted and time begins now.

[Elba] Will Michael conquer

this game of mind over matter?

Can he bring back a medal for his son?

[announcer] Three, four, six.

These results will be considered final.

[mouthing] sh*t.

I don't think I should have gotten

two zeros. No freaking way.

I mean, they weren't

my best poses, but zeros?

[sucks teeth]

No. But

Um

Sheesh.

Disappointing.

But

Well, at least I won my age group.

[chuckles softly]

The final position wasn't still enough,

so remember, that's the big thing.

We gotta be still.

It just looked like he couldn't find

his point of stillness at all.

When I watch the video, the leg's moving.

The back leg, the foot goes,

"Doot, doot, doot."

She stopped it, timed it again,

then it only came out

a minute and nine seconds

instead of three.

[coach] But he was there, he was in it,

and he didn't pull out of it.

That's wobbling. That's stability.

That's not sturdiness. The clock

[judge] They start the clock

when they're completely still.

He was still

for a minute and nine seconds.

[reflective music playing]

[Elba] To win, yogis must combine

their mental and physical strength

to overcome the others.

But Michael

did not transcend himself today.

He lost to a more balanced spirit

that was dwelling

inside another competitor.

In the playgrounds of the gods,

there is often a lot more at stake

than winning a medal.

In the remote Mexican Copper Canyon,

they play a game that looks

a lot like an early form of football.

In reality,

it's a crucial part of village life.

[man, in Mixtec]

Rarámuri people are runners.

Since the beginning,

God has commanded us to run.

We were born to run.

[Elba, in English] The Rarámuri

play a game called Rarájipari.

A wooden ball is kicked

from sunrise to sunset

for over 50 miles at a time.

If they succeed,

their gods will bless them

with a fruitful harvest.

Nobody misses the game.

People walk for up to three hours

to come play.

They believe if they fail today,

there will be deadly droughts.

[evocative music playing]

[Elba] This game has been played

as long as villagers can remember.

And thankfully, so far,

bad fortune has always been avoided.

[in Mixtec] When we run God gives us rain.

When we're running, it usually rains.

That is why I think

God is very pleased when we run.

He will continue giving us food.

[Elba, in English] This is Arnulfo,

who today will run

with his cousin Estefan.

[men speaking indistinctly in Mixtec]

[Arnulfo] Throw the ball.

[man] Get ready. Let's run.

[men yelling]

[man] Run. Pass the ball to the front.

[Elba, in English] The players must

keep the ball constantly in motion

until the sun sets.

[playful music]

[Elba] The rolling wooden ball

represents the earth,

which is why, no matter what,

it must keep spinning

if they are to be blessed with rain.

Arnulfo and Estefan believe that their god

will only be pleased

if they keep the ball moving.

[Arnulfo, in Mixtec]

God is delighted when we are in motion.

He notices each one of the runners.

[Elba, in English]

As the wooden ball spins,

rituals are performed

and offerings are made.

The run seems endless.

Miles and miles of back-breaking terrain

that doesn't seem to stop.

[Arnulfo, in Mixtec]

God approves of our running and parties.

[Elba, in English]

Finally, when the sun sets,

they're allowed to finish the game.

The players gather

around the fire to pray.

If they manage to keep the ball rolling,

the heavens will open.

[chanting]

[Arnulfo, in Mixtec]

God accepts our gifts,

and then he sends us clouds

to make it rain.

And it's gonna be a good year.

[chanting continues]

[thunderclap]

[rain pattering]

[thunder continues]

[Elba, in English] God is happy

and rewards the Rarámuri with rain.

[heartfelt music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[Elba] Around the globe,

we connect to

our spiritual worlds with play.

But it's not easy.

We sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears.

On these playgrounds,

we seek to be closer to our gods.

Whether those gods are within us,

watch over us,

or whether they are reached

by climbing to the heavens themselves.

[heartfelt music continues]

[closing theme music playing]