Removed from the mainland, Socotra has long been shrouded in mystery. This fragment of Africa is adrift at sea island just east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula.
Throughout the centuries, travelers returned from sailing expeditions across the Arabian Sea with tales of a strange world of surreal bleeding trees, forests of frankincense, and dramatic pinnacles that emerged from the mist.
Nowadays, this isolated island of Yemen is considered a veritable Noah’s Ark, where an incredible number of unique species of flora and fauna have been preserved and evolved on their own.
Giorgio and Francesco from Montanus charted a 400-kilometer route around Socotra that led them into the most remote parts of the island on dusty dirt roads.
Their expedition took in 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 roads, so they were forced to adapt and take a risky alternate when faced with an impassable road devastated by a massive rockfall.
Socotra is a new short film that recounts their trip across one of the most isolated landforms on Earth. The film reveals the majesty of this little-known place and shows why its dramatic spines, impressive gorges, and unreal dragon’s blood trees make it one of the most remarkable places we’ve ever seen.
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