The Forgotten Island

Not far from Somalia in the Gulf of Aden there is an island that time forgot. The Socotra Island is desolate, rugged and austerely beautiful. After decades of isolation an expedition made an amazing archaeological discovery in the depths of a sanctuary cave. More than a third of Socotra’s fauna and flora is endemic, and most of it remains unknown. This film unveils some geographical, historical and natural aspects of an island that shelters so many treasures.

  • Philippe Axell
    Director
  • Philippe Axell
    Producer
  • Christian Robin
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Nature, Discovery, Archaeology, Ethnic
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 11, 2002
  • Country of Origin:
    Belgium
  • Country of Filming:
    Yemen
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Maremma Doc Festival
    Pitigliano
    Italy
    December 17, 2003
    UNESCO Special Mention
  • EXPLORIMAGE
    Mandelieu-la-Napoule
    France
    October 19, 2002
    2nd Prize
  • ICRONOS, 8ème Festival International du Film Archéologique
    Bordeaux
    France
    October 12, 2002
    Special Mention of the Jury
Director Biography - Philippe Axell

A Belgian film maker for the past 40 years, Philippe Axell’s documentaries have been broadcast around the world and have received numerous international awards both in Europe and in the United States.
Amongst his awarded films are: The Mystery of the Lesse River (1991), The Jewels of the Dark (1993), Underground Treasures (1998), Journey into the Earth (2000), The Island of the Phoenix (2002), Sagalassos, the forgotten City (2003), The Last Romans (2007), Sahara, Climate and Societies of the Past (2008), Vallus, The teeth of the Earth (2021).

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