and people around the world are celebrating the lunar new year, which marks the year of the tiger. once again, the festivities are muted of concerns over the corona virus pandemic. in taiwan lungs at darma drum mountain rang in the new year by striking the temple bell $180.00 times, the ritual symbolizes the sleeping way of human worries. wow . ah, what she did up in his life from burning up next is dark from. i'm really mohammed and for watching take care. bye. ah. the green. you feel worried about the planet missing?

a mil host of the on the green fence of cost as we it's clear we means to join me for deep dive into the green transformation. for me, for you, for the plant. ah, ah, it may look like a scene from a bygone era, but these young people are part of the community and present. take central america . ah. ah. they belong to a christian group known as mennonites, ultraconservative protestants, who shoot the mod. whoa. okay,

wow. bill says on one side, boys on the other, the reciting passages from the bottle in old. hi jim. hey, this morning, the youngest children and then alphabet o i nominate or a chicken look at the letter and pointing to mm hm. oh, oh. oh. the older children are reading the new testament, printed in front to a traditional german script, and not taught history, geography or foreign languages. the bible is the only text book. oh yes, zane and baden, i teach them to read and you bet sing. i pray surely recite poetry right here and he account. that's it would like mid to all the sun would be down to children,

begin their schooling at age 6 and finish when the 13 long enough to learn the basics. i know, but this is so we learn from when i went to school in my, my brother and my grandfather went to school and we always have no university. not a high school college or anything or studying as practicing my learning. if he were, tenants is a fighter doing with him after he finished school opera and became a black snake like his father. he has 20 children, 3 of his 60 grandchildren, a pupils in this class. mennonites, believe children are a blessing directly from god. blue eyed lawns abound. originating from germany, the netherlands and switzerland. the mennonites fled europe 250 years ago,

and some eventually settled in central and south america. devout anabaptist, they strictly adhere to the doctrine of men or seamans. as 16th century dutch priest begley lives full of rigor and discipline. there are the 2000000 mennonites worldwide, but only a fraction or old order mennonites, virtually self sufficient. they live in settlements with their own schools, churches, and tribes. this isolation shields them from modern day. temptations, now, one colony of this secluded community has agreed to be filmed for this documentary . life in this religious group revolves around the bible. everything is predetermined, right down to the color of their clothes. just have to that is can address. it's going to religion, it will different colors. the rules of very straight breaking

them can have severe consequences. foreign don't are. if people don't obey the church, we must shun them. yet the temptations a many, a few months ago, franz roach. i'm a forbidden object. a smartphone, i know the reality, though i do not feel guilty. i see there's so many good things. behind the serene facade, some members are rebelling they're challenging the communities. most fundamental doctrines will help is one of the shunt and their mind. like a cellphone. it's made by system. so consider the living. nothing. oper am on the other hand, is a 1st to change. that's why he and several other families plan set up a new colony in an even more remote part of the world. the heart of the amazon.

with that a new to them from starting from 0 to grow. so who are the mennonites and why do they flee modern civilization? is that even possible to escape the contemporary world in this day and age? we take a closer look at one of the 21st century, most cloistered communities. ah, our journey begins in central america on the western edge of the turquoise waters of the caribbean sea ah, situated between mexico and guatemala, is the country of police. the former british colony has an extremely diverse population among us over 400000 inhabitants and mosquitoes cradles and maya.

most of the mennonites live further inland. hidden away in the country side is little belize, an old order colony established in the 1970s. time seems to have stood still. yeah. cars are forbidden or strong buggy. so used to get around really minimal. it's not used to have in contact with outside us the not hostile but somewhat perturbed by our presence. mm mm. i don't know what to make of our cameras. some even hide their faces. like this woman. he's a possible good. are you into syria? early liter aloud at because people get frightened. and young ladies are when they

get pregnant. they get shaker. so arm when they're yeah, no film because they, they're frightened or dirt. they're not that they're not used to it. that's the reason. ah, the conservative men and i'd spoon modern technology by a few are open minded like france, physically to talk to us and learn here i am raising here the whole of my life. i've never to be in somewhere else. my old home country. i like it like the culture and everything. it's beautiful. it enjoyed my life. fans is 36 years old and he lives on this farm which he built himself with. he and his wife elizabeth had 7

children 15 year old twins and her and katrina of the eldest augusta is 13 and elizabeth tim abraham and peter a 6 and 8. and sorry, the youngest is 4 years old. there are typical men in like family. most have 7 to 12 children. they live a simple way of life, a few fields that you can coop and a couple of cows are enough to keep the family fed. the girls tend to the livestock with oh, don't pour it all on the same side. put some here and some there with france, works from home. he is a mechanic in his workshop. he repairs machinery for customers who are not members

of the community. he owns around $500.00 a month on average. his daughter katerina who 2 years ago since then she's been working with her father. we have only a girl. that's why she has to do jobs like this. if we had boys big boys in that age and think she will have to, we're again side. the boys will have to do this job. this is probably a job for, for boys with josh rolls and a mennonite household and clearly defined. the women take care of the home and they do the cooking, cleaning and laundry. they also so close for the entire family. and that too is governed by strict rules.

ah, when elizabeth needs more fabric she go shopping, there is no sign or advertisement to indicate that it is a store and the choices here limited. ah, this one is too dark for me. this one's pretty nice for the younger girls. news, the bright colors reserve for the younger girls, dresses, the darker fabrics are for the married women. the men are to wear straw hats and checked all striped chairs. for half a meter we'll do. everything is precisely specified. for us, do you see any big difference between these told at some time or another. somebody home elizabeth only speaks plat, toich, or low german, a dialect. she is primarily by mennonites, her sister in law, marguerite, however,

also speaks english, and she fills the scene on some of the customs. debts are the have learned, like godson's, my parents, my grandparents, great grandparents. it just keep it like dads could have been like that all the time was where i watch. oh no. you just have to where it is can addresses. it's going to religion. if you do all kinds of different clues, won't have any written law, you know, right. no, not doing it on no up make up. nothing will make up. no good was for sure. yeah. why just oh oh, call old man and it's just howard like dad you like why why, why we don't know anything else. we have to material for 2 dressers and a shirt for what amounts to 8 euros. there's no excess defending mennonites lead a lot. so osteo, it's almost monastic void of distractions. no music, no sports,

and no television. and the closest. they come to a moment of lisha is in church every sunday. we were asked not to film then a community leader has agreed to meet and talk with us. william is something like the colonies may. he too has 7 children in order to give us a better understanding of their beliefs. he invites us to his home for dinner. the only source of light is the single oil lamp. the house has no electricity. the furnishings aspires. there are no pictures on the walls, only the bare minimum. let us pray.

the girl sit on both sides of the table while williams sits at the head and his son at the other end. the meal is eaten a silence. his practice mennonites have followed for centuries. to night's dinner consists of beans, a vegetable soup and sausages life, as it was lived in the 19th century. well, dog redo would blow them resolve this today. bible says that to be accepted into head and we're not allowed to have any modern things like tvs, telephones, computers or cars. among the we're talk to renounce modalities and when certain people do not want to obey the church, the more we must shun that. no, they can no longer take part in community like really the only my don't really an agenda busy. my aunt's lecture to know is explicit. i do. you abide by the rules or you are banished from the community.

a lot has changed since the mennonites came and found the colony here half a century ago. this used to be nothing but jungle. now the colony is spread out over a 100 square kilometers and bows. nearly 3000 inhabitants. when they built roads, they paved away for further development and in spite of their respect for the doctrine sombre labors, find modern conveniences, hard to resist. for france at all began when he had to buy a phone for work, he's taking a she trys by showing it to us before when i saw a fall or something or use it a little bit, i feel very guilty at the very good. you know,

i know the reality. no, i do not feel guilty. i see there are so many good things in it. franz discovered the internet and to love the music. the rhythm of country and western radically changed his family's life. and me a, it, they really like their new life. it's a new lifestyle for us. where we have nurse and music. so it could nurse have any life it, it's a good overview. and then abruptly france, which is up, is fine. there's someone coming rather is going to do it. right. you must hide your phone. now. this is for my brother. yes. and i have to have my phone because i'd really but i don't like to to see them mad.

if they don't see the phone, it will be more happy to me. so that's maybe in the future. they will start to know more about the reality. no. france has to be careful even around his brother. if anyone finds out that he has a phone, he risks excommunication, or that is what's happened to fill him. he's used to provide medical care for the families here. he lives next door to france. kind of surgery. they sit down here or sit down here. and then i have a speech, then pro, probably check it out, pin and there are abdomen. i would have them there. don't cover them up schachter. well, the people from the village came here last year. oh yeah. preacher said, there, yo, for 20 years, gil, who's the colonies, lay doctor,

although he has no formal training. his mother was a nurse, and he taught himself by studying medical textbooks. he bought a phone in order to save lives. and i felt like i had to have it because there were so many accidents, and then i felt like an obligation to call a taxi or to call on the doctor, sir. i said it was so useful for me and i had it and, and they were complaining about that and they wanted me to, to lose it. and then i said no, that decision cost him dearly because he broke the rules, he lost everything. they then knew that they would excommunicate me. the day before i would say i heard about at least 60 patients at least 60

that went on the whole day upto laid on the light. the next day i got excommunicated, no one trams again. so that stops from 60 to overnight to 0. since his expulsion wilhelm has been shunned by the community. these days he sells tires an hour's drive from home. ah! he decided to found a new non conformist congregation within the conservative community. mennonites, behind the wheel of pickup trucks, a surprising size. they belong to the dozens of families that now attend the new church. with, from all appearances, these believers still seem to abide by the traditional men and light codes of conduct. but on closer inspection,

there are undeniable signs of change even from the pulpit. the sermon is read from a smartphone all there is no bible to be seen. with all the gospel of matthew, all the 11 disciples went to galilee to the mountain where jesus had sent them various it when they saw him. they worshipped him, but some doubted what the branch mob lawson. yes it will be done. not vill home instigated the construction of the new church are oh yeah. they are allowed to vehicles allowed music is allowed then they added only what it's not allowed is drinking. and all that, what, what father says is wrong. this development troubles more traditional mennonites. they believed that souls are being lost. ah, bram is one of those traditionalists. he's joining several of the families who

decided to leave police to set up a new colony, improve one that's more loyal to the old order. yeah. like we were billed at, they're more traditional and on to community so that they will be more more, more em. i don't know exactly how to explain, but that people service more conservative, more people together. abram a farmer will embark on the new adventure with his wife and 7 children, even though he's invested a lot in his life here in a little belize. so this is the house what i had been at the 1st point so knowing. busy i want to leave it, so let 4 out of people can use and now if they want to change, i haven't batter won so they can put a new one. so that's how i'm thinking now. and now i want to sell it for whatever

thing and the land operand peru represents the promise of an even better life. if 1st point is sad, like there, it sounds like the soil and everything. it sounds better to work dear and am having an having more and more like more people and a town who will buy us are to wichita balls and car on soya and beans and all the things what we produce. they will buy more so we could sell more, what we produce, that will makes our more happier. those moving to preparing for the departure that entails selling most walk on them and not water bank. why? how much for the set of bowls? dry your 5 dollars to dollars?

quite on $4.00 a month. wow. wow. yeah, cub needs to sell as much as he can with ruby, a trash can or a casserole dish. everything must go. oh good. i'm selling whatever i can't take with me. oh, yeah. well, okay, yeah, i'm selling, the house is my, all the furniture, all the things we used every day. okay. like all we're taking is our bug. you the rest will be sold and it's kendall. it's all a year for not being here. every dollar counts. the money will go toward constructing the new colony the auction last the whole day they get it was one thing after a wants to take to prove is farming equipment. 11 families, a sharing the space and cost of a shipping container. is that little take this over

there, nan. yeah, there is a lot. we have to put everything together and to get together and tell it fits that only their most precious possessions will make the trip to peruse. that includes tractors and machinery needed to clear roads the country has a few things. they are not big farmers inside in the country. so that's why we think about we can carrot cheaper. we haven't here on the cart over there to cheaper than me, buy it from brazil or anywhere movers to believe city then by boat. yes. by boat, for either the container will arrive 2 months after they do. there isn't much room left, but opera has a surprise in store for his wife. he's going to take them marriage bed. the only reminder if they're past life is,

is the bed. so that is what we have ready. once your wife wanted to see. yeah, my way i want that to keep does she want to keep the beds? so she will be happy. there's not lose everything. she lose that they go mom, but not lose everything. ah, it's the evening before their departure our friends family is feeling apprehensive, especially as wife elena brought merrick that it will be difficult. there. we had everything here or no, no, we have to start all over again. fail to clinton don't done until at the moment. the biggest fear is the flight. no one has been on an airplane before. turns out now. are you afraid of flying? lie? no, not yet. but i don't know how i'll feel when i have to board. and you, helen,

how do you feel about going through with it? i'm really excited. oh really? oh yes, i can't wait. oh that we'll see. who gets on the plane 1st that and i'm gone. i don't want to be 1st move. mm ah. that's what i'm going to still go. the time has come for the family to go and stay home in the biggest one would i have or had in my life. climb in boys, along with abrams parents want to see them all. so it's not easy for his mother. this is the 1st time one of her children has left the

colony. oh yeah. yeah. you know, don't worry, everything's going to be fine. it's all under control high quite well. i'm still anxious. yeah, i understand. um lawyer, good bye. and safe journey get us isaac, will you visit us? maybe in april? i yeah. okay. ah. 3 hours later they arrived at the a port in belize city. they're the 1st of the group to get there for abram. this is where the adventure truly begins. is the 1st time what i am thinking, the place. that's why i'm telling my children. now i am reading 43 years. i want double with the plane. so in all my children all day, they're happy all they can go what me together. longer with dad than there. ah,

when i will go and i will go. it's going to be great. the rest of the group have also arrived. 7 families, $53.00 people in total. they've all bought one way. tickets. no one plans to return . it's time to say good bye op ramps parents came to the airport to make the most of the last few moments with the family. ah, there were no hogs bookcases, a simple hand shake sufficing. every one appears calm and composed. but ob ramps mother can't quite hold back her. she is. she doesn't know if she'll ever see her son or grandchildren. again, taking a huge leap into the unknown. ah

ah, the challenge is begin with the escalator. i with i hey, are you scared me neither. this is fine. it's a bit shaky. opera am seems excited, but his wife elena is

a little anxious. what's that clouds clouds? yes. clouds were flying over clouds. i was wondering why there was so much smoke the journey will take 24 hours. after i stop over in panama, they arrive in lima, the capital of peru, with while waiting for the final flight to pull culpa, few can keep their eyes open. no one has slept much since they left belize. lazy, lazy, lazy to long, full, oh, long chris in the sprawling group of minutes does not go unnoticed.

the air force employee who checks in their luggage is curious. she knows where they're headed and asked them about it. but why are you going to pu culpa that we want to work there? i guess work. if we go, we bought land there. info can look and we're going to work it. what will you grow? because it will grow corn, beans, sawyer, le, mellum, a cucumber, peppers and tomatoes and all can, will keep chickens. where will your children go to school? if you do get me, i think that that will build a school fee. there isn't one area at all, but we'll build one. yeah. i never know. i'm surprised. i didn't think it was possible to live out there. but i'm happy for you. i mean

that it always surprised a little bit. they don't know. you are they? yeah. and the little a lot of people. yeah. they're surprised. they didn't know that it was about odds zenick. mm hm. so they asking for where are you coming? where you want to go? so what, what happens? what's going on? so because they don't know you not the don't know, i didn't look people saw him but they sometimes if they think of traveling but but not so i'm a grow so many in a group on so many baggage. the mennonites take the 3rd and final flight. this one's to pull compa a town northeast of lima, that's close to the amazon rain forest. they've traveled nearly 3500. miss has upon arrival a few mosier taxis awaiting the mennonites as something of an attraction he had to

. there's room over here. i had no clue with the largest caught in the region po, copa is the gateway to the amazon. the city has around 200000 inhabitants. ah, vendors from the surrounding villages come here to celtic goods. opera is to lie shanty. yeah. like the stuff that bright looks happy, beauty, fog. yeah.

oh oh yeah. they look nice and looked and looked like dad. lots of moment. yeah. and that, that old allan this year. oh, it looks like some long men fell right here. i think here we can work like we're how we like to because i see that people is moving on lots and lots of people will be a big different n and believe because believe so poor and so little that people, every pink tie, the past both leave from there mm. abram has no time to lose. he left the leaves with the bare minimum. so he needs to buy a few supplies before heading into the rain forest. the 1st he has to change money

ha, say, come and count the dollars. this is oper mp's entire savings 30 years of work. now he's investing it all in his future that retail harsher somehow whatever, what they sell on the auction sale and then they get the money into an occasion for buying things. more buy meyer land or open my land. abram has a total of $18000.00 us, donna's not much to start a new life. that's why the group buy things in bulk to save money. first thing on the list mattresses. no enemy guy altogether because a ball pan than to have a different price. that's why we are altogether going on buying things

like water. well, this one is hard. no, it would be like, sleeping on the ground or not. the day is drawing to an end in pu compa, but abrams work has just begun to morrow. he will take an exploratory expedition to the new colony. i sent apples apples vitamin. come and get your apples, and i say yeah, up ram has reserved a seat on 1st to t n. blanca, the last village before the colony, young man, another member of the group is accompanying him. the triple take 2 days, only with the tributary of the amazon. ah, i like fun

what, what's going on? i'm wondering everything. oh, and then i know everything with a few hours later there are no more buildings in sight. nothing but long stretches of forest. but that doesn't trouble abra on the country. that's why i love you. that's what i like. i i. that's what i like to pass a white glove blanket toilet draw. and a half hour. they grow vegetables or anything like that. the car after 48 hours on the boat opera has nearly reached his personal paradise.

we almost there? yes, not far now. how much longer? about half an hour. but there's more to come. abram in your hand, take another much smaller boat. it's the only way to reach then you hon. deep in the heart of the amazon. hardly any one traverse is the river at this point. and once they touch land, it's still not over. they've got another 90 minutes along a muddy bumpy road. you hear that with

at one point, joe hannon oper. i'm have to get out and push still and nothing can dampen operands . enthusiasm. the road is very difficult, but they have, they could change. you could change it the 1st time you have to work best with whether you want to come. you have to do everything. yeah. yeah. everything else did to start a new them from starting from 0 to go with after 2 hours. the 1st house comes into view, it was built by the 6 mennonite families who settled here

a year ago. can we reach we finally found your coupon. hello, welcome. off a luckily we could take the road. otherwise, we'd have had to walk them. and you, good luck, melanie. that's nothing compared to how it was when we came with all our luggage around 50 minutes living here all in their own, in the middle of the jungle without electricity or running water with it's a lot to be done. pop ram and his family will have to live intense before they are able to build a house of the ride along. when will it be finished?

about that he being it says one week here work. and so maybe 2 to 3 days more and then yeah, this house ready just 2 weeks to build a house, mennonites, assistant carpenters, and they know how to make the most of what they've got people and believe a lot of time. did they say, oh, how could that happen that we don't go to school and they do a lot different things than they do. and how could it be? but they say i, we say we work on the farm on practice on the farm. we don't go to school, we go to school on the farm. a little deeper in the forest opera and we'll see his own plot of land for the 1st time. he's way to the heath this moment. i don't know what this is. this is

death. my piece of land here. yes. so now this is how we, how we 1st open. this is the bosh. and so now right now we will go inside and there i could show you how i will make my house. it's the land i've always dreamed of with our friends. first instinct is to reach down and grab a handful of oil. 10 men to plan cards and all the vegetables for this fall will be very, very good. one side and will be off. and on our side there will be out there monday eventually will be here on the yard front yard. so when people come on the right here in the yard and anyway,

tablet, ok, i have a, the day that's with this is where he wants to create a new mennonite community based on old order traditions back here. and we will be more isolated and more helpful, more love and everything. it will be more together. people living in a year's time over 40 families will be at home here, around 300 people in the amazon. it may be the last refuge for the men on. mm aah with an illegal right for with waters here. city is an all time high

people demand radical solutions corporation claim. he can handle the crisis, but at the what hot eco, india in 30 minutes on d w. ah . what people have to say matters to us. i am. that's why we listened to their stories. reporter, every weekend on d. w. one of mankind's oldest ambition could be within reach or what is it really is possible to reverse aging researchers and scientists all over the

world. moreno race against ty. ah, dna molecule though has 20 different powered philosophy. they are peers and rivals with one daring goal to outsmart nature for a longer, healthier and fuller life. one of the most insightful discoveries in the history of mankind. more life starts february 16th on d, w. d. o. this is, these are the news and these are top stories the.