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Tanzania: The Royal Tour 1x56

Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg travels with the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan through her country. For an entire week, she’s the ultimate guide, showcasing the history, culture, environment, food, music – and tells the stories of Tanzania’s hidden gems. Destinations include Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and a safari adventure through the Serengeti.

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Tanzania: The Royal Tour

Tanzania: The Royal Tour, the latest in a series of global television events, hosted by Peter Greenberg with the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan as his very special guide. An epic ... Read all Tanzania: The Royal Tour, the latest in a series of global television events, hosted by Peter Greenberg with the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan as his very special guide. An epic journey through this remarkable country through the eyes of its leader. Premiering on publ... Read all Tanzania: The Royal Tour, the latest in a series of global television events, hosted by Peter Greenberg with the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan as his very special guide. An epic journey through this remarkable country through the eyes of its leader. Premiering on public television stations across the U.S. beginning April 18th. Check local listings. And als... Read all

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• Trivia The program praises Tanzania's modernization and infrastructure projects (all undertaken by imported Chinese workers, not Tanzania labor) but neglects to mention that the country rolled up a massive $31.4 billion debt to China, which China then erased for other secret considerations, making the country beholden to China for several generations to come. This is happening with developing countries all over the world. Before this, Tanzania was one of the poorest countries on earth.
• Goofs Peter pronounces the name of the crater as "en goro en goro." The n is not pronounced like a western N with an "en" sound but as a soft nnn sound.

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• April 19, 2022 (United States)
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Industry and Trade minister Kitila Mkumbo responds to questions during a Parliament sitting in Dodoma yesterday. Tanzania yesterday ratified the AfCFTA pact opening new trade opportunities for the country. PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS

By  Bethsheba Wambura

Engagement Assistant

Mwananchi Communications Ltd

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has kicked off the recording of a documentary titled 'Royal Tour'. The recording of the documentary that is meant to promote Tanzania internationally started on August 28, 2021 in Zanzibar where the President is on an official visit.

According to a statement released on Sunday, August 29, 2021 by Director of Presidential Communications, Jaffar Haniu the head of state will show visitors different attractions.  

The documentary will be recorded under the Chairman of the President's committee to coordinate the plan to promote Tanzania internationally who is the permanent secretary in the ministry of Information, Culture, arts and Sports, DrHassan Abbas. “The president will show visitors different tourism, investments, arts and cultural attractions available in the country,” reads part of the statement. A royal tour is when members of the Royal Family go on an official visit – also known as a state visit – overseas, touring as many locations as they can make time for and visiting officials and the locals. Royal tours are intended to strengthen relationships with the visited countries as well as inspire policy changes.

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‘The Royal Tour’ starring President Samia to premiere in April 2022

Africa-Press – Tanzania. The official trailer for the widely anticipated travel documentary starring Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan is finally out.

‘The Royal Tour’ is showcasing various tourist, investments, arts, and cultural attractions.

The documentary shows the Head of State in her safari attire taking the audience on an adventurous tour to some of Tanzania’s most iconic landscapes.

She toured through Zanzibar’s attraction sites, including Bagamoyo in the Coastal region, and Kilimanjaro wildlife parks as part of the Royal Tour filming accompanied by an international film crew.

The documentary offers a taste of Tanzania’s unique culture and rich history archived in various places including Archeology Isle of Zanzibar, coast side of the country, Bagamoyo, Kaole, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro from where the highest peak of Mount Kilimanjaro is visible.

It was part of Samia’s efforts to make Tanzania more visible to the world, and attract more foreign investors to the country.

The documentary, which was filmed in August and early September 2021, will be launched in the US market and showcased worldwide in April 2022.

For More News And Analysis About Tanzania Follow Africa-Press

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Tanzania: The Royal Tour

04/18/2022 | 56m 51s  |  Video has closed captioning.

In this latest Royal Tour, Peter Greenberg travels through Tanzania with the country’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan. For an entire week, the President became the ultimate guide, relating stories of the often hidden gems of Tanzania, along with its rich history, culture, environment, food and music. Destinations include: Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and through the Serengeti.

Aired: 04/18/22

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[music] Announcer 1: Funding for this program has been provided by: The Tanzania Forward Foundation, whose mission is to present and preserve the culture, history, and heritage of Tanzania, and advance investments in the arts and natural resources in this economic and social hub of Africa.

[drums] [music] [music] Peter: Prepare yourself... ...for an epic adventure... ...through a land inhabited by peoples who cling tightly to ancient traditions.

While their fellow countrymen freely embrace the marvels of modern life.

It's a place that lays claim tobeing the cradle of all mankind.

And boasts of fabledSpice Islands of rare beauty... ...that reveal both a dark past and a shining example of how people of differing traditions can live together in peace and friendship.

And on this trip, you'll sleep under the ocean, soar over the loftiest peak on this vast continent... ...float just above the reach of magnificent beasts... ...and descend deep underground in search of rare, precious gemstones... ...found nowhere else on earth.

And our guide on this special journey is someone who knows this country better than most.

She's explored its expanse of terrain, talked to its many peoples, and championed their dreams.

She's a woman who's lifted herself from humble beginnings and overcame cultural challenges to confidently lead this country onto the world's stage at a critical time in its development.

Her name is Samia Suluhu Hassan... ...and she is the president of Tanzania.

So, buckle up.

For the next hour, we're going on an exclusive, inside-the-security-bubble trip... ...with the sitting head of state... ...as she shows us her country as only she can.

I'm Peter Greenberg, and this is "Tanzania: The Royal Tour."

The United Republic of Tanzania sits just south of the equator on the east coast of Africa, and is roughly the size of France and Germany combined.

The country consists of the mainland territory formally known as Tanganyika along with two main tropical islands, Unguja and Pemba, that make up the archipelago of Zanzibar.

Tanzania has no shortage of neighbors.

Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo to the west.

And Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.

But at the heart of this country of almost 60 million people... ...is its largest city, Dar es Salaam.

A number of years ago when I first visited Dar, as the locals call it, it seemed like a quaint, colonial backwater.

Today, it's a modern, bustling city on the move, and it's where I begin my tour.

The president asked me to meet her at Ikulu, Tanzania's State House.

[music] [fanfare music] It was built back in 1922 bythe British Colonial government on 33 acres overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The grounds are teeming with wildlife, and the State Houseblends African and Arabian architecture.

It's a regal barrack.

[fanfare music] [speaking in Swahili] Hi, Peter.

Welcome to Tanzania.

Madam President, thank you so much for having me.

Nice having you here.

Nice having me here, too, yeah.

What a beautiful State House.

[Madam President chuckles] Peter: I understand it's an accepted cultural practice that most Tanzanians refer to the president as "Mama Samia," but I'm still more comfortable calling her... Madam President, first of all, again, thank you for having me to your country.

You're welcome.

I'm assuming you never expected to be sitting here.

You're absolutely right.

I never expected that one day I'm going to be president of this country.

Peter: President Samia had been chosen by the former president, John Magufuli, to be his running mate in order to deliver the women's vote and the votes from her native Zanzibar.

But once they took office, she was effectively kept in the shadows.

Some say she was marginalized by Magufuli, a president who had the nickname, "The Bulldozer."

Magufuli was often described as a COVID denier, and once said the virus could easily be eradicated by three days of prayer.

In March 2021, just five months after she was sworn in as vice-president, President Magufuli unexpectedly died while in office.

The government claimed he officially died of a heart condition, but many believe his death was the result of COVID-19.

Then according to the Constitution, I was next, and I became the president.

Peter: You were not only next,you're the first woman of color and a Muslim to lead a country.

And that's imposes a lot of challenges.

We have 120 tribes, and some of the tribes, they don't believe that women can take a top seat and deliver.

As a woman, you have to achieve twice as much as the men do to be recognized.

And the men are masculine.

They can talk like, [speaking forcefully] "Hi, Peter, I want to do this and that."

Women can't do that.

So, there are lot of challenges, you know.

[fanfare music] Peter: Now she's front and center.

She's already embraced an ambitious economic development plan, breaking from the past and asserting a more progressive agenda: promoting women businesses, strengthening healthcare and education, actively opening her country to visitors... ...and aggressively dealing with the COVID pandemic.

Your predecessor was a completely different president than you are.

In all honesty, he was not a big fan of vaccines.

He was not a big fan of the science.

No, he's a scientist, remember.

Peter: Even worse.Madam President: He's a chemist.

He was a chemist.

He was a chemist... Madam President: Yes.

...who contracted COVID.

But when you became president, what's the first thing you did?

You had a public demonstration, and you got vaccinated.

Madam President: As a president, I had to start it, so my people could believe that oh, it's okay if I do it.

So, I was the first one to be vaccinated and then others followed.

Peter: Ironically, President Samia came to power as a result of an imported disease threatening her country.

But it wasn't the first time Tanzania had been invaded.

But what makes Tanzania a country of consequence?

In your history, it seems that everybody wanted Tanzania.

The Germans, the Omanis... Mm hmm.

...the Portuguese, and most recently, the British.

What do they see in Tanzania?

I think the first thing is location of Tanzania, geographically, because Tanzania is strategically located.

Tanzania's a gate to East Africa, Southern Africa, and to the world.

And number two, we have an abundance of natural resources.

Peter: But for much of the last three centuries, it became clear that the resources that international traders were most interested in were ivory... and slaves.

By the time she was born in Zanzibar in 1960, slavery had officially been abolished, but the country was still living under colonial minority rule.

In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar decided to merge their youngnations as well as their names, and officially became the United Republic of Tanzania.

While the country's name had changed, it was a slow road of development.

But for the past decade, the economy of Tanzania has been growing at an impressive six percent a year.

Billions are being spent on private and public infrastructure projects that can be seen just about everywhere.

From Dar es Salaam's skyline... ...to its new highway systemand signature suspension bridge.

There's a new modern railroad system under construction that will connect the country.

A state-of-the-art container port to connect Tanzania to the world... ...and a massive multi-billion-dollar hydro-electric project to power it all.

And it's all happening against the backdrop of one of the biggest economic drivers in the world: travel and tourism.

Which brings me to a key question.

So, Madam President, where are you going to take me?

Oh, Peter, so first, remove your tie, take off your jacket, and let's go.

So, I lose the tie?

Peter: The first stop on the royal tour, the exotic islands of Zanzibar.

It's an archipelago that sits about 50 miles offshore, and it's considered a semiautonomous region of Tanzania.

It consists of two main islands, Unguja to the south, and Pemba to the north.

The very names connote romance, intrigue, and history.

And President Samia is the perfect guide here because Zanzibar is where she was born.

So, we set out on foot in a historical quarter of Zanzibar known as Stone Town.

Stone Town stands on a small triangular peninsula jutting out into the Indian Ocean.

And while it was first settled by the Portuguese in 1560, the place has a decidedly Arabic feel to it and for good reason.

Madam President: For about 2,000 years, the trade winds regularly bought sailing dhows filled with spices, clothes, and ceramics from throughout the Indian Ocean, but it was the Arabs who dominated trade on the east of the coast.

Madam President: They called this place the "Land of the Blacks," or Zanjibar, which became Zanzibar.

Peter: And it was a fitting name because the Arab merchants would fill their boats, not only with gold and ivory, but also with captured African slaves.

And they were doing this a thousand years before the slave trade even began in the Americas.

The Arabs prospered handsomely, and in the 7th century, many of them came tosettle permanently in Zanzibar.

And out of this ethnic gumbo a new East African coastal culture emerged known as Kiswahili or simply, Swahili.

And with it came a signature greeting.

[speaking in Swahili] Madam President: How are you?

Peter: I am fine.

Peter: Along with a unique blend of architecture.

Look at this wonderful door.

You see it.

It's amazing.

It's a mixture of Arabic and Indian crafting.

Peter: Wow.

Madam President: Yes.

Peter: Stone Town has been recognized globally as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

That's a point of pride for the locals, but I got to warn you, it could be a confusing labyrinth.

Madam President: The narrow streets.

Peter: Yep.

They were never built for cars.

It really is a labyrinth maze.

I never use a map here.

I prefer to almost walking around aimlessly.

Getting lost here is just part of the experience.

Madam President: Hi.

Oh, look at this alley, wow.

But you know my favorite thing I used to do in Stone Town was just people watching in Jaws Corner because the history of Zanzibar is literally told through the faces of our many different people here.

Peter: And nowhere do you see that more than in the old Arab Fort.

[Tanzanian jazz music] Madam President: So, Peter, do you hear that music?

You won't find that anywhere else.

It's our version of jazz.

We call it Taarab.

[singing Taarab] It fuses African, Arabic, and Indian musical influences, and it's always brought all the cultures together here.

You know all the words, right?

Madam President: Oh, yes.

But my favorite part are the singers with their Swahili love songs.

[singing Taarab] Peter: I soon learned that if you enjoy her music, it's customary here to approach the stage and give them some shillings as a tribute.

[Taarab music and singing] And when the concert's over and darkness starts to fall, another show takes place just outside the fort in what's known as the Forodhani... ...or "people's garden."

I like to look out at the sea, hear the dhows return home... and watch the lovers stroll arm-in-arm along the waterfront.

[fun crowd sounds] Look at the young boys, Peter.

They're showing off their bravery by running and jumping and diving off the seawall into the ocean.

It reminds me of my childhood.

Peter: The next morning our journey took us through rural villages where life moves at an ancient pace.

To where the road ends at a sleepy fishing village called Kizimkazi.

It's a place where some things haven't changed in a thousand years... ...where art is made from whatever you can find... ...the children's playground, a beached fishing boat, and the finish line in their footrace is the first splash in the Indian Ocean.

And it is near here where the president was brought up in an even simpler world.

Samia was one of 14 children in an extended family, and she lived here.

It was a very Spartan existence, and it still is.

It's also where her morals and values were shaped.

Madam President: This is my first mosque.

Hard to believe, but it was originally built in 1107.

It's where I learned about Islam from my father and my grandfather.

It wasn't political doctrine, it wasn't just a way of life, but it taught me about life.

Boys who are all taught on their human rights, the rights of girls, of the rights of boys, how boys should respect girls.

Girls, which rights do they have in the Quran.

And how has it shaped how you're running the country now?

Yeah, it shaped me because I knew my rights.

I knew how to be educated, both religiously and academically.

I knew how to behave in working places, and be respected.

So, that came in my mind and stayed there, so I grew with it.

Peter: Not far away, her primary school.

Madam President: My father was a head teacher in this school.

Hello, students.

[speaking native language and students respond] [speaking native language and students respond] Peter: So, what did you just ask them?

Madam President: Yeah, I was just telling a story of a small girl who started in this school and went ahead and now she's a president.

So, I was telling them this is not a simple task.

They have to study hard.

So, you study English here?

Students: Yes.

Who is ready to answer my questions?

[Peter chuckles] Just simple one.

Just simple one.

Which is your favorable subject?

Mathematics.

You like mathematics.

Peter: Oh, boy.

Madam President: That's good.

Peter: Okay, I've got one.

How many want to be president?

[speaking native language] Peter: Ah, you got trouble.

Peter: You got competition here.

Madam President: Yeah.

[bell ringing] Peter: But clearly, at this age, there's at least one goal much more important than holding the country's highest elected office, and that's recess.

It's just another morning on the red carpet as we get a royal sendoff.

Our destination: the island of Pemba.

Pemba, they have nice beaches.

Pemba is so natural.

It's green and natural.

I can say it's a virgin island.

There hasn't been much development.

Peter: But that's the beauty of it.

[thanks in Swahili] Peter: After we touched down, it's Pemba's turn for that receiving line.

And soon, we find ourselves on a pristine beach on the north end of the island.

The temperature, absolutely perfect, but the winds are kicking up.

Even the local fishermenseem to be sitting this one out until things calm down a bit.

But the president is determined to fish, so we board anyway, with enough security detail for two presidents.

The captain quickly prepared the boat, and we headed out.

Joining us on board is the president of Zanzibar, Hussein Mwinyi and Maryam, the first lady.

There are actually two governments in Tanzania.

The president of Tanzania is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and wields broad federal powers, while the president of Zanzibar is in charge of the affairs here in the islands.

But today, no politics, just fishing.

Peter: So, the thing is, you don't catch a lot of fish, but you like to eat a lot of fish.

Oh, yes.So, now we have to be patient and wait?

Peter: So, how much patience, and how much waiting?

Turns out that when you're with the president, you actually don't have to wait that long.

Peter: Whoa.

I think you have caught one.

Peter: I think I got one.

Madam President: Let me see.

Peter: He doesn't want to play.

[Peter groaning] Whoa.

Oh, mine is too hard to pick up.

Would you give me a hand?

Peter: Yeah.

It is heavy.

Madam President: It's heavy.

[cheering and clapping] Madam President: The biggest one is mine.

[Peter laughing] The biggest one is for the president.

Wahoo, wahoo.

Peter: Wahoo.

I've done it.

I've caught it.

Peter: What is it?

Peter: Wahoo to you.

[all laughing] Peter: Back on shore, lunch was waiting.

But the president of Zanzibar had something else in mind.

Hey, Peter, come here.

I have a surprise for you.

Where's the surprise?

You'll see.

Over there?

You guys coming?

No, no, it's your surprise.

Peter: So, we boarded a small launch and headed out towards something floating in the ocean.

Just a few hundred meters offshore.

On the surface, it looks like a small house, but it's actually a special hotel room that sits in the middle of a protected marine preserve as part of Manta, a handcrafted ecolodge on Pemba Island.

Mr. President.

Peter: So, we went from catching fish to a nearby sanctuary wherefishing is strictly off limits.

Nice and easy, one step at a time.

Are you ready for this, Peter?

You gotta be kidding.

I'm coming down.

Oh, look at that.

That's pretty cool.

A lot of fish down here.

Peter: It's a private island surrounded by coral.

A place to submerge yourself in the Indian Ocean, both inside and out.

Forgive me for saying this,but I really can't help myself.

Here you actually do sleep with the fishes, but it's all part of asustainable, responsible effort where a portion of the profits goes directly to help preserve the reef.

The intention is to utilize our marine resources in a sustainable way.

A good example is this hotel where they do tourism, but at the same time they are doing conservation.

Peter: We caught fish, we saw fish, but we had no time to eat fish.

The president says we've got tofly across the straits of Pemba to a quick and unexpected roadtrip to an undisclosed location.

The president and I rode in "The Beast."

That's the lux presidential limousine with body armor and 4-inch bulletproof glass.

It comes with the job, but today, we're on a different mission.

She says that before we go searching for animals, she has a special kind of safari in mind.

Peter, we are going to see a place not many people have seen it, and I have to warn you, it's not a pretty place, but you have to see it.

Would you open the door, please?

Oh, my god.

And it goes on and on.

Yeah, and the killing has gone on and on as well.

Peter: We're at an unmarked maximum-security government warehouse in a secret location on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.

And inside, overwhelming evidence of unspeakable atrocities that have been taking place in this part of the world for centuries.

The mass murder of elephants for their ivory tusks.

More than 49,000 tusks in here.

Madam President: And we are continuing confiscating.

And you see this huge one.

This is huge and heavy.

Madam President: Yeah.Peter: That was one big elephant.

Madam President: Yes, yes.

Peter: In fact, this is perhaps the world's largest-known collection of raw ivory.

Most of it confiscated from poachers.

Despite a ban on international trade in ivory, African elephants are stillbeing poached in large numbers, tens of thousand every year.

The ivory is often carved intointricate ornaments or jewelry, and Asian countries remain the biggest consumer market despite efforts to slow the illegal trade.

And for a long time, Tanzania was Africa's primary killing field.

According to the government's own census figures, in just five years from 2009 to 2014, Tanzania lost 85,000 elephants to poaching.

A staggering 60 percent of the country's total elephant population.

And in the last decade alone, at least 45 tons of ivory have reached the international black market from Tanzania.

Making it Africa's largest source of poached ivory.

Would you bring that big one and heavy one for weighing, please?

How much does it weigh?

About 85 kilos.

Madam President: Wow, 85 kilos.

And how much of that in pounds?

Almost 200 pounds.

Two hundred pounds.

Peter: It's hard to imagine how slaves in chains were able to carry these giant tusks 600 miles from the interior to the coast, and to think this took place for more than 200 years.

Many of the slaves died from the ordeal, and those who survived were sold.

All part of the inhumaneculture of racism and commerce.

So, they killed a very large elephant for two of these.

Can you imagine?

I don't want to imagine.

Really sad.

It's so sad.

[music] Peter: But in the last six years, Tanzania has arrested more than 2,300 poachers leading to a 90 percent reduction in poaching cases.

Look at this.

Madam President: Yes, it's still going on.

We continue confiscating.

Peter: Meanwhile, all the ivory sitting idle in this warehouse is now worth an excess of $50 million.

But it's not really a tangible asset.

Madam President: Peter, selling this ivory on the open market would only send a wrong message and likely drive demand higher, thus leading to even more poaching.

Peter: So, for now, the ivory remains here in this heavily-guarded vault, hopefully sending the right message.

Peter, we are in a dilemma.

You know we can't sell them, we can't burn them.

We are just going to leave them like this to educate the world that these things has to stop.

This is elephant genocide.

It really has to stop.

Peter: Minutes later, we went from this sobering moment to an uplifting one, literally.

It's a big map.

[chuckling] Now you've got an idea of how big Tanzania really is.

Where's Kilimanjaro here?

[music] Nice landing.

Very nice landing.

[music] Peter: When traveling with the president, there's always the official entourage, but you could never overestimate the official receiving line.

[fanfare music] Peter: Or the musical fanfare.

The guidebooks will tell you that you don't need any special skills to go where the president is taking me, but we did need to suit up.

Kilimanjaro is just starting.

We have a long way to go.

Well, I see the sign, so where's the mountain?

See, sometimes she's shy, hiding behind the clouds.

And how high is she?

It's about 19,000 feet.

Nineteen thousand feet?

How long is it going to take us to get there?

Sometimes eight days for some people.

Eight days?

We're doing eight days for this?

Come on, Peter.

You're with the president.

I've got a better idea.

Now this part is nice.

Peter: Even by plane, it seems to take us forever to climb up to the so-called roof of Africa.

Madam President: Patience, Peter.

Slowly, slowly.

We'll get there.

Do you see it now?

Up there we're going to see it.

This level is cloudy.

See the other small mountain over here?

Yeah, yeah.

You just see the tip of it.

And that's it.

Peter: The first mountain peak we're able to see is called Mawenzi, and it's one of three volcaniccones that combine to spew lava and create the larger Mount Kilimanjaro about a million years ago.

Madam President: Ah, there she is.

Peter: Oh, yeah.

Peter: And with that, we finally get our first glimpse of the summit of the legendary Kilimanjaro: the highest point on the entire African continent.

She revealed herself.

She wasn't shy.

Peter: Oh, wow.

I wish I can touch it.

Peter: We're Pretty close.

Peter: Mount Kilimanjaro is considered dormant, but it still means it could possibly erupt again one day.

Madam President: But don't stress, Peter.

It has been about 200,000 years since it has gone off.

But you can see the paths here.

The routes up there.

Yep, I can see the trails, yeah.

Peter: Each year about 35,000 people walk those trails in hopes of reaching that summit.

Madam President: And only about half of those who are tempted make it to the top.

Oh, can you make it, Peter, climbing up there?

Can you make it?

I'm going to sit right here with you.

[Madam President laughs] Peter: Look at that crater.

Peter: For centuries, the crater was covered with ice and snow year-round.

In fact, the very name, "Kilimanjaro" means "mountain of whiteness."

But since 1936 when Ernest Hemingway wrote "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," those snows have been declining.

And the glaciers on the mountain seem to be hasty retreat as well.

There is now scientific consensus that Kilimanjaro's glaciers have been rapidly receding for the past century and that human-induced climate change is largely to blame.

Madam President: Yeah, it's hard to ignore.

I can see the effects of the climate change.

We can't miss it.

At least we got a chance to see it now.

Madam President: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Peter: The bottom line is, see it while you still can.

Madam President: Mm-hmm.

Peter: And we saw it.

In fact, we climbed 6,000 feet higher than the people on that summit.

Madam President: Peter, I'm now going to take you from the highest point in Tanzania to perhaps the lowest.

Peter: Just down the road from the Kilimanjaro airport, we drive into a secure area surrounded by troop... ...high-perimeter fences... ...and cameras.

And I soon learn why.

The Tanzanian military is here protecting an underground treasure found nowhere else on earth.

A precious discovery much more rare than diamonds.

In 1967, a Maasai tribesman was tending his herd here in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro when he stumbled upon some shimmering, blue crystals scattered on the ground.

And they found their way to Tiffany's in New York to be evaluated.

There they were cut, polished,and given the name "tanzanite," in honor of Tanzania, the only country on earthwhere these gemstones are found.

In fact, tanzanite can only be found right here in a small, 2-kilometer by 4-kilometer area behind these gated walls.

And some experts consider it the most important gemstone discovery in the last 2,000 years.

And some of the miners were waiting for us.

You see down there.

How far down is that, guys?

Madam President: It's more than three miles.

I can feel the heat.

Mm-hmm, from here.

Peter: You feel it from there?

Peter: So, we discussed whether or not we should go down with them, right?

One of the shortest conversations we have ever had, and go down and bring us the tanzanite, okay?

Peter: Once down, the drilling team can finally begin boring into the rock face to place dynamite and explode the area in order to reach the tanzanite veins.

Later, at a processing facility above ground, the stones didn't look very impressive.

So, this is high-quality?

Worker: Yeah.

What's the value of it?

One thousand fifty-eight U.S. dollars.

Peter: And that's just for the unprocessed stone.

Once processed and polished, the finished tanzanite price is a big multiple of that.

But the law of supply and demand is at work here.

There's only a limited supply of tanzanite remaining, and many experts think it will be all mined out within 20 years.

The next morning, we start moving north and into some really lush terrain.

On our way to the remains of a massive, ancient volcano, the Ngorongoro Crater.

Home to the highest density of predators on earth.

But first, we had to escape another reception line.

[fanfare music] The president has promised to take me on a safari deep down inside the Ngorongoro Crater.

In Swahili, the word "safari" simply means "journey."

But today, people use it to mean seeing Africa's great wildlife up close.

But at the moment we're not seeing much wildlife... ...or much of anything for that matter.

Peter: It's pretty foggy today.

Madam President: It's usually like this.

It's going to open up.

Peter: You sure?

Peter: Sure, sure?

Madam President: For sure.

Peter: Our safari begins driving up through dense highland forests and into the clouds near the top of the crater's rim at an elevation of 7,500 feet.

Although this may look like your typical rainforest, it's actually not.

It's considered a mist forest, and to remain this green and lush, it depends on clouds frequently moving in to cover the exotic plant life with mist and the occasional drizzle.

As we crest the rim of the old volcano and start to make our way down the steep crater wall, we finally descend beneath the clouds, and things begin to clear up... ...just as the president had promised.

Madam President: Look, Peter.

From here you can see the lake on the crater floor.

Peter: What a view.

Madam President: Oh, it gets better.

Peter: As we snaked our way down towards the crater floor on this narrow road, we're suddenly greeted by some of Ngorongoro's animal ambassadors... ...a troop of baboons.

[Madam President laughing] Madam President: Can I make it?

Peter: You're going to do it.

Madam President: Ah.

I guess this your official greeting party, Peter.

Peter: Once we're down on the floor of the crater, I can easily see that we're actually inside of a giant volcanic bowl which is eleven miles wide and covers more than a hundred square miles.

It's when you get out here and you realize how vast this is.

-It's so wide.

Peter: And the crater is home to more than 25,000 animals.

-A wildebeest.

Look at that.

-You see them?

There they are.

Many of them.

They're everywhere.Madam President: Well, those are the ones who are migrating.

Peter: That's the great migration.

Well, actually, this is just a tiny part of the great migration, where about two million wildebeest, zebra, and antelope all travel together in an ever-moving circular migration from Tanzania to Kenya and back each year, following the rains in search of the freshest grasses.

The reason they migrate together is, well, there is obviously safety in numbers when trying to elude predators, but there's another reason that the wildebeest and zebra make such good traveling companions.

They say the zebra, they have a very good eyesight seeing the danger ahead, but the wildebeest, they can smell where the food is, so they normally live together.

Peter: Ngorongoro is also home to more than 500 species of birds including the prehistoric-looking ones that can't fly, but they can run as fast as a gazelle.

Madam President: Yeah, about 45 miles-an-hour.

Look there, Peter, you can even see a flamboyance of flamingos.

Peter: A flamboyance?

Madam President: Yeah, that's what you call a group of them.

Peter: But our real focus today is to try and see all of what's known around here as "The Big Five."

Madam President: The lions, the leopards, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants.

These are elephants.

Peter: Elephants did that, huh?

They pulled down the trees.

Something is there, okay, because I see the tree moving.

So, something is there.

Peter: As we approach, we suddenly seea solitary young male elephant, who's obviously been pushed out of the herd to find his own way in the world, but it's clear,our way is not exactly his way.

He wants nothing to do with us.

Madam President: So, that was the biggest of The Big Five.

[speaking native language] Peter: The president wanted to get a much better view, and pulled us over.

We change it here.

We are safe here.

Peter: But as soon as I climb out of the car I hear... Madam President: There's a lion somewhere!

Peter: Someone caught a glimpse of a lion nearby.

And so I promptly climbed right back into the car.

Have you seen it?

Peter: I see it, all right.

It's only about 30 or 40 yards from us.

Madam President: And if it is a female lion.

Peter: We decide to follow her for a while to see what she's up to.

And just a short time later, we're surprised by what she's showing us.

Sitting on their thrones are most of the members of her pride.

These apex predators here are truly the king and queens of the crater.

Madam President: The gazelles are eating grasses then they come here for salt, and they make their meat be palatable, and that's why the lions eat them.

So, basically the lions are sitting around waiting for a touch of salt.

Peter: This is the appetizer.

What do we have over there?

Is that buffalo over there?

Peter: So, do all those buffalo know that these guys are here?

Madam President: Yeah, but even the lions, they're asking themselves if they should go there because the buffalos are so many, and they're going to fight them.

So, we just need to see the rhino and the leopard.

Peter: Yeah, but what do we end up seeing next instead?

Madam President: Pigs.

Peter: You mean the warthogs.

Madam President: Yeah, warthogs.

That's my favorite animal.

You know why?

Because nobody likes them.

I like them.Madam President: Because they have bad face.

-I like them.

-Ugly face.

Peter: The president just called you ugly.

[Madam President laughs] Peter: And you're not one of the big five either... [rhino groans] ...but this guy is.

That's one big rhino.

Peter, that's the fourth one.

Peter: Seeing a black rhinoceros in the wild is almost like seeing a dinosaur.

In 1970, there was an estimated 65,000 black rhinos in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Today, there are only about 5,000 left.

They're on the critically endangered list.

And the biggest threat remains poaching.

We finally got out of the Jeep and walked over to what looked like a small, quiet pond.

Madam President: Peter, look there.

I want to show you what is known as a bloat of hippos.

Peter: A bloat?

Do they float?

Madam President: No, but they are the most dangerous animal in Africa.

They kill about 3,000 people each year.

Peter: Then why are we standing here?

Madam President: Because they stay there in the water during the day and only sneak out at night to eat grasses near the riverbank.

But be aware, Peter, they're quite aggressive and can charge and crush you with their powerful jaws.

And that's when you don't want to be around here.

Not at all.

Peter: What time do you have?

Madam President: Ah, let's leave.

It's time to leave.

Yeah, it's time to leave.

Peter: As we moved beyond the crater, we suddenly encounter the tallest mammals on earth, the Maasai giraffe, native only to southern Kenya and Tanzania.

And then, suddenly I caught sight of one of the most elusive creatures in Africa... ...the leopard.

This beautiful spotted cat is a solitary hunter that likes to stalk its prey in high grass, and then eat its catch high in the trees to prevent lions and hyenas from stealing it away.

But most importantly, I've done it.

I've finally seen all of The Big Five.

Peter: Asante Sana, Madam President.

Madam President: Karibu, Peter.

You are most welcome, but you'd better rest up tonight because tomorrow's going to be busy.

[Madam President whispering] Hi, everybody.

Ready to go.

Peter: Leaving the Ngorongoro, we head northwest towards the famous plains of the Serengeti.

Madam President: Peter, all those round things down there are the Maasai bomas, which are small villages.

And the Maasai are a semi-nomadic tribe who live off the land and their livestock.

The Maasai are one of the newer tribes in Tanzania.

They migrated here from the Nile Valley in the 1700s.

Peter: At low altitude, it was fascinating to see these primitive tribes still holding onto their traditional values.

But at higher altitude, a different perspective.

It was fascinating to see how many villages there were.

Over the years, the Tanzanian government has tried to persuade the Maasai to become traditional farmers or ranchers.

But they've persisted inclinging to their ancient ways.

And yet they may not have a choice now and need to find other ways to support their families.

These families can be quite large as well.

Since a Maasai man can have multiple wives, and since his wealth is partly measured by how many children he has, it's not uncommon for a man to have 18 to 20 and want even more.

Madam President: Yeah, that's true.

Peter: Some have now opened their villages to visitors like us.

We hit the ground walking, and soon we were welcomed, met with a special greeting, a tribal song.

[tribal singing] Against the monochromaticbackdrop of the African plains, the brightly clothed dancers are quite a sight.

These performances are not only a way of educating foreigners about Maasai culture, they also serve as one way of helping to keep their traditions alive as their way of life is slowly being transformed by modern society.

[tribal singing] Their voices are their instruments.

[tribal singing] [tribal singing] Most of the Maasai dances are pretty simple... [tribal singing] ...and consist of a lot of bending with the feet moving slowly.

Madam President: But just wait until the jumping dance begins, Peter.

The Maasai word for it is "adumu," and is a dance performed by the young warriors.

[soft tribal chanting] You see them jumping?

This is showing their strength to the young girls.

So, they're trying to impress them.

Madam President: Yes, yes.These are those who haven't married yet.

They are trying to show their strength to the girls.

So the girls might be attracted who is fit for them.

Peter: And if I jump high enough, I get the girl?

You get one of them.

[laughing] Oh yes.

Okay, Peter, go and do with him.

Show them how can do it.

The girls are looking at you.

Peter: And so, I jumped.

And then I jumped again.

Madam President: That's great, Peter.

Peter: Alas, no takers.

[Madam President laughs] Madam President: I think you are qualified.

You did it, Peter.

Great, great, great.

Peter: My final stop: I was delivered to the fire end of a hot-air balloon.

The president had set up a surprise for me: an amazing way to experience the Serengeti, solo.

And before I knew it, we rose above the ground for a completely different perspective.

Floating above the Serengeti islike peering off into eternity.

[music] In fact, the name comes from a Maasai word... ...the place where the land runs on forever.

The national park itself has been designated as a World Heritage site... ...and is probably the world's most famous game reserve.

This is the way to start your day in Serengeti.

Peter: But the morning winds were picking up, and the balloon was descending.

My signal that the royal tour was coming to an end.

This had been, to say the least, a remarkable week.

[music] In just seven days, we had seen history very much alive in Zanzibar... ...fished in the Indian Ocean... Whoa.

Peter: ...learned the dark side of humanity... ...as well as the hope and promise of a country.

Soared over Kilimanjaro... ...seen precious jewels and then the real jewels, The Big Five, as well as thechallenges still facing them... ...and the tribes that still continue their old traditions.

Then drifted over the expanse of the crater... ...and the never-ending majesty and fragility... ...of the Serengeti.

[music ends] With most balloon flights, there's usually a single chase car below to help position and then secure the balloon.

Not this time.

We were being chased by an entire convoy of vehicles led by the president.

And judging frommy previous balloon experiences, [balloon thuds to the ground]it was a pretty gentle landing.

How was it?

It was great.

Peter: What an amazing way to end this trip.

Madam President: Oh, yeah.

I think this is the beginning of beautiful friendship.

Peter: I've seen that movie.

Madam President: Yeah, me too.

[music] Announcer 2: "Tanzania: The Royal Tour" is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Offer made by PBS Distribution.

More Culture Shows

The Royal Tour Tanzania: Exclusive Peek Behind the Scenes in the Epic Adventure

Peter Greenberg’s occasional PBS series, “The Royal Tour,” features heads of state acting as Greenberg’s tour guides to their countries.

The shows include well-known tourist highlights but also connect the leaders’ personal stories to that of their nations, providing a more intimate view of the destination.

In the past, kings, presidents and prime ministers have acted as Greenberg’s co-hosts, but he’s never had a leader-guide quite like Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania and featured leader/tour guide in “The Royal Tour: Tanzania.”

(President Samia Suluhu) Hassan — or ‘Mama Samia,’ as she’s widely known within Tanzania — came to office following the death of the previous Head of State, John Magufuli.

The Country

Tanzania is big, about the size of France and Germany combined. The country comprises more than 120 tribes, including some that have a strong patriarchal social structure and don’t believe a woman should occupy the top spot.

“You have to accomplish twice as much as a male to be recognized,” Mama Samia Suluhu tells Greenberg during the program.

The Royal Tour

I accompanied Hassan and Greenberg for a few days of the shooting last September and had an opportunity to observe, up-close, her interactions with everyday Tanzanians, the film crew and Greenberg. She inspired affection in them all.

Many Americans associate Tanzania with safaris and, perhaps, Mount Kilimanjaro, but the first half of “The Royal Tour” explores parts of Tanzania that expand viewers’ understanding of the country.

It begins in Dar es Salaam, the country’s de facto capital, which is undergoing rapid development, with skyscrapers and major infrastructure projects in various stages of development.

But then it moves to a Unesco World Heritage Site, the still-bustling settlement of Stone Town, on the Zanzibar island of Unguja.

Tanzania in the spotlight

Peter Greenberg’s “The Royal Tour: Tanzania” offers a complex and holistic look at the East African nation. And he’s never had a guide quite like Samia Suluhu Hassan. Travel Weekly

The contrast is striking; unlike Dar es Salaam, with its wide, often car-clogged avenues, Stone Town is a warren of narrow streets and alleys with a pronounced Arab and Indian influence.

Many of the extraordinary, ornately carved doors on residences one passes, however, are a reminder of Stone Town’s sordid past: It was the site of the largest slave and ivory market in East Africa, and its unique character, though charming today, was defined and created by wealthy slavers.

(Samia Suluhu) Hassan was born in the more sparsely populated Zanzibari island of Pemba. As the show shifts locations there, the narrative becomes more personal.

The President brings Greenberg and viewers to the modest home she grew up in near the beach village of Kizimkazi as well as to the mosque and school she attended. 

Explaining how her village shaped her and her approach to government, she says that it was there that she first learned about her rights as a woman, including the right to be educated (she eventually received a postgraduate diploma in economics from the University of Manchester).

They look in on a class in the primary school she had attended and where her father had been head teacher; she tells the pupils that any of them can grow up to be president.

At a nearby beach, the President of Zanzibar, Hussein Mwinyi, leads Greenberg to a boat for “a surprise” while Mama Samia remains on land.

Their offshore destination is the Manta Resort, an ecolodge with a difference: Its bedroom is a submarine, sunk into a blue hole within a coral reef. Fish look in from every direction.

The next stop is not something that tourists can visit — in fact, its location is secret.

It’s a warehouse filled with more than 49,000 elephant tusks that have been confiscated by the government from poachers.

It’s an emotional segment, interspersed with disturbing still shots of elephants that had been killed and mutilated. But it also serves to underscore how serious the country is about its antipoaching efforts. Some 2,300 poachers have been arrested in the past six years, and, President Samia Suluhu Hassan tells Greenberg, poaching has been reduced by 90 percent. Travel Weekly

The next scene, while beautifully shot, also has a sobering side. The pair circle above the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro from an airplane.

Those whose mental picture of the mountain includes a large glacier covering much of its summit will be in for a shock: Due to climate change, the snow has shrunk to cover only a small portion of the mountaintop.

From the highest point in Africa, the tour moves to one of the lowest — and another look at a Tanzanian site that, alas, is not available to visitors: the country’s Tanzanite mines.

The blue gemstone, first identified in 1967, is found only in Tanzania, and only in one area that is less than four square miles. The stones themselves are mined three miles below the surface.

They’re rarer (in fact twenty times rarer) than diamonds, depite being less expensive.

It is expected (or maybe feared) that the mine will be exhausted in 20 years.

The show closes with images of Tanzania that will feel familiar to most people as Greenberg and Hassan visit the popular safari areas of Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Greenberg says his goal in Ngorongoro is to see the Big Five: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and Cape buffalo.

The crater, whose intact rim is 11 miles wide, has the highest density of large predators on Earth. It’s home to 25,000 large animals and more than 500 bird species (including ostriches and flamingos).

After finding hippos, warthogs, giraffes, zebras and antelope, Greenberg’s Big Five wish is finally granted.

Elephants weren’t hard to find, but the pair also spotted one of only 5,000 black rhinos left on Earth (the species has been slaughtered by poachers interested only in their horns), a solitary leopard and a pride of lions within sight of a buffalo herd. 

Serengeti Shall Not Die

Hassan and Greenberg catch up with the wildebeest migration in Serengeti, viewing it in part from a hot air balloon, and also visit a Masai village, where Greenberg tries his best to join in a dance with young men leaping straight up, repeatedly and rapidly.

What makes the “Royal Tour” series different from most tourism-related programing is that, aside from presenting an informal and personal side of a leader, it presents a 360-degree view of a country.

Poaching, climate-change, slavery and endangered species are not, in most instances, topics that tourist boards want to dwell upon, but they’re important to get a full understanding of Tanzania.

By the end of the presentation, it’s likely that viewers’ interest in visiting the country will be higher than before they had watched it.

Even Tanzania’s familiar aspects are enhanced because everything is shown from the personal perspective of the country’s leader.

Although the show premieres this week, most PBS stations will be airing it several times in the coming months. If you have clients who are considering a trip to East Africa, you may want to share with them local viewing times.

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The Royal Tour - Epic Adventure With The President of Tanzania

Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief of Travel Weekly, went behind the scenes during the filming of “ The Royal Tour: Tanzania .” Here is how he described it:

“The Royal Tour,” photojournalist Peter Greenberg’s occasional PBS series, features heads of state acting as Greenberg’s tour guides in their respective countries. The shows include well-known tourist highlights, but they also connect the leaders’ personal stories to the stories of their countries, providing a more intimate view of the destination.

Greenberg has previously had kings, presidents, and prime ministers as co-hosts, but he has never had a leader-guide quite like Samia Suluhu Hassan, the history-making first woman president of Tanzania and featured leader/tour guide in “The Royal Tour: Tanzania.” President Samia Suluhu Hassan — or ‘Mama Samia,’ as she is affectionately known in Tanzania — took office after the death of the previous Head of State, John Magufuli.

Tanzania is a large country, roughly the size of France and Germany combined. The country is made up of more than 120 tribes, some of which have a strong patriarchal social structure and do not believe a woman should be in charge. “You have to do twice as much as a man to be recognized,” Mama Samia Suluhu tells Greenberg during the program.

The Royal Visit

Weissmann accompanied Hassan and Greenberg for a few days of filming last September and had the opportunity to observe her interactions with ordinary Tanzanians, the film crew, and Greenberg up close. They were all smitten by her.

Many Americans associate Tanzania with safaris and, possibly, Mount Kilimanjaro, but the first half of “The Royal Tour” explores parts of the country that broaden viewers’ understanding of the country.

It starts in Dar es Salaam, the country’s de facto capital, which is rapidly developing, with skyscrapers and major infrastructure projects in various stages of completion.

The film then shifts to a Unesco World Heritage Site, the still-bustling Stone Town on the Zanzibar island of Unguja.

Tanzania Is In The News

The contrast is stark: unlike Dar es Salaam, which has wide, often congested avenues, Stone Town is a maze of narrow streets and alleys with a strong Arab and Indian influence.

However, many of the extraordinary, ornately carved doors on residences that one passes are a reminder of Stone Town’s shady past: It was the site of East Africa’s largest slave and ivory market, and its distinct character, though endearing today, was defined and created by wealthy slavers.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was born on the Zanzibari island of Pemba, which is less populated. The narrative becomes more personal as the show shifts locations there. Greenberg and viewers are taken to the modest home she grew up in near the beach village of Kizimkazi, as well as the mosque and school she attended. She says that her village shaped her and her approach to government because it was there that she first learned about her rights as a woman, including the right to an education (she eventually received a postgraduate diploma in economics from the University of Manchester).  They observe a class at the primary school where she had attended and where her father had been the principal; she tells the students that any of them could grow up to be president.

Hussein Mwinyi, the President of Zanzibar, leads Greenberg to a nearby beach for “a surprise,” while Mama Samia remains on land. Their destination off the coast is the Manta Resort, an ecolodge with a twist: its bedroom is a submarine sunk into a blue hole within a coral reef. Fish peer in from every angle.

The next stop is not accessible to tourists; in fact, its location is unknown. It’s a warehouse filled with over 49,000 elephant tusks confiscated from poachers by the government. It’s a moving segment interspersed with disturbing still images of elephants that have been killed and mutilated. However, it also emphasizes how serious the country is about anti-poaching efforts. Poaching has been reduced by 90%, according to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has arrested 2,300 poachers in the last six years.

The following scene, while beautifully shot, also has a somber undertone. From an airplane, the couple circles Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak. Those who imagine the mountain as having a large glacier covering much of its summit will be surprised to learn that, due to climate change, the snow has shrunk to cover only a small portion of the mountaintop.

The tour moves from Africa’s highest point to one of its lowest — and another look at a Tanzanian site that, sadly, is not open to visitors: the country’s Tanzanite mines. The blue gemstone, discovered in 1967, can only be found in Tanzania, and only in a four-square-mile area. The stones are mined three miles beneath the surface. Despite being less expensive, they are rarer (in fact, twenty times rarer) than diamonds. The mine is expected (or perhaps feared) to be depleted in 20 years.

The show concludes with images of Tanzania that most people will recognize, as Greenberg and Hassan visit the popular safari destinations of Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Greenberg’s goal in Ngorongoro is to see all five of the Big Five: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, and Cape buffalo.

The crater, which has an 11-mile-wide intact rim, has the highest density of large predators on the planet. It is home to over 25,000 large animals and over 500 bird species (including ostriches and flamingos).

Greenberg’s Big Five wish is finally granted after he discovers hippos, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, and antelope. The elephants were easy to spot, but the pair also saw one of only 5,000 black rhinos left on the planet (the species has been slaughtered by poachers only interested in their horns), a solitary leopard, and a pride of lions within sight of a buffalo herd.

Serengeti Will Not Perish

Hassan and Greenberg follow the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, viewing it from a hot air balloon, and also visit a Masai village, where Greenberg attempts to join in a tribal dance with young men leaping straight up, repeatedly and rapidly.

What distinguishes the “Royal Tour” series from most tourism-related programming is that, in addition to presenting an informal and personal side of a leader, it also provides a 360-degree view of a country. Poaching, climate change, slavery, and endangered species are not topics that most tourist boards want to discuss, but they are necessary for gaining a comprehensive understanding of Tanzania.

If by the end of the presentation, your interest in visiting the country is even higher than it was before you watched it, visit our website to learn about the many Mount Kilimanjaro treks and safari tours we offer. Or contact us to help you plan your very own Tanzanian Royal Tour.

Even though the show premiered last week, most PBS stations will air it several times over the next few months. If you are thinking about visiting Tanzania or are simply interested in the Tanzanian culture, this video is a must-watch. You can view the highlights or purchase the full-length video .