Half Man Half Tree – BodyShock Documentaries
July 24, 2008
32 year old Dede lives in a remote village in Indonesia with his two children, trying to care for them. Dede, a former fisherman, has an extraordinary skin condition: he has root like structures growing out of his body – branches that can grow up to 5cm a year and which protrude from his hands and feet, and welts covering his whole body.
He is known locally as ‘Tree Man’ and his condition has baffled local doctors for 20 years. In an attempt to earn a living to support his family, he is part of a circus troupe, displaying his Tree Man limbs along with others afflicted with skin deformities in ‘freak’ shows.
Go to MyTVblog for download link
The four-part TV show covers some very intimate health issues including
hemorrhoids, incontinence and halitosis, but the online version gets
very sticky – inviting users to contribute online to discussions and
address issues they might be uncomfortable about broaching with their
doctor. It’s classic public service stuff.
Video of consultations, an STD checker, anatomy game, health
calculator and a chance to submit your concerns to appear on the show.
A set of four health-check
videos, which can be viewed on mobiles as well as online, had clocked
up 89,000 view just two hours after the first programme broadcast on
Monday.
