Oases – Islands of Life

Nature & Wildlife 5 x 52' or Best Of 2025 4K

From surprising waterholes in the deserts, mighty river deltas that disappear into the aridity of the African desert, tropical islands in the vastness of the oceans, life-giving streams in barren mountain-valleys, to islands of true wilderness in the heart of the grey urban sprawl of a metropolis: oases have many faces, but they always have one thing in common – they exist in spite of their surroundings.

This series sets out to paint enchanting portraits of six exceptional oases, discovers plants and animals that fight a daily battle with the environmental extremes of their homes, and delves into the lives of people who have learnt to live with the challenges of life on a knife-edge.

Each oasis must find ways of coping with its harsh surroundings and makes exceptional demands of its inhabitants. Because survival in these biodiversity hotspots is by no means guaranteed: given their precarious situations at the heart of extremely hostile environments, these islands of life are unusually fragile. Climate change, exploitation, political unrest, pollution, the disappearance of keystone species, overpopulation: the list of serious threats for these frail mini-ecosystems is long, and their loss would have grave consequences.

Each film portrays life in a single oasis, each one distinct in its setting, environment and nature. They are revealed as independent, virtually isolated ecological niches. The special circumstances of their existence and the story of their inhabitants – be they plants, animals or people – revolves around striking individual examples. These combine to form a colourful and captivating experience of each oasis, which emerge as extraordinary and unlikely habitats under siege from their immediate surroundings.

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