David Blaine: Do Not Attempt Season 1 Episode 5
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00:00I'm just outside of Johannesburg, experiencing a beautiful display of creativity.
00:30A carnival of dancers, acrobats, and magicians.
00:49My friend Muzi is leading me through the parade.
00:53It's a celebration of Freedom Day, 30 years since the official end of apartheid,
00:59when the country was segregated by law and it was illegal for races to mix.
01:05Freedom Day, it talks to that freedom of expression,
01:08the freedom of being able to be yourself in a world that wants to confine you.
01:12There's a lot to celebrate to put regards to our country.
01:17There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, but at the same time,
01:21I'm here walking with you right now.
01:23This wouldn't have happened all that time ago.
01:27It's always inspired me that during the dark days of apartheid,
01:31magic played a role in uniting people when a school for young magicians opened.
01:37It challenged the status quo by allowing kids of all races to learn together.
01:42Now I'm excited to discover others who are using their talents to shape and unify South Africa today.
01:52Wow, very callous.
02:06While I'm here, I want to challenge myself to try new things that might expand my own idea of magic.
02:12When you start to finish.
02:22When you start to finish,
02:24When you start to finish,
02:33Not far from the carnival, there's something I've been told I have to go see, something
02:46that started underground and is uniquely South African.
02:53It's called spinning.
02:58So spinning originally began in the streets of Soweto.
03:04I'm meeting a man named Easy.
03:06He's a filmmaker who has been documenting the spectacular sport.
03:28Everybody's feeling festive.
03:34You can feel the atmosphere.
03:43I mean, it looks magical.
03:46They're creating an illusion that seems like they're spinning out of control, when actually
03:50it's all expertly coordinated.
03:53They're pulling into these little tight spots that they shouldn't be able to get into.
04:03Debris from the tires is shooting everywhere.
04:05The black smoke, you can feel the excitement, the energy.
04:10The noise is unbelievable, it's just so loud.
04:20So they'll perform elements of precision driving.
04:23We are the best drivers in the world, if you ask me.
04:32Spinners remind me of magicians.
04:37They're always working on new tricks.
04:39The success of their performance lies in their showmanship, and they thrive off of audience
04:46reaction.
04:52The roots of spinning go back more than 30 years, when kids living in poverty would bring
04:58stalling cars back to the townships and spin them.
05:05Through that, they developed skills to create what would become a nationally recognized motorsport.
05:11The Easy tells me is now a symbol of unity.
05:15Spinning is 150% South African.
05:20It's built a community that didn't have a lot.
05:25It doesn't matter the color of skin you are, it's all inclusive, all welcoming.
05:31Everybody bleeds red, and we love the smell of burning tires.
05:43What Easy sees in spinning is what I love about magic.
05:47It has the power to bring people together.
05:51My mother was a teacher.
05:52She always saw the best in everybody, and encouraged me to do magic for people from
05:57all walks of life.
06:01Inspired by my mother, for my first TV special, I wanted to share one of the things that I
06:06love most about being a magician.
06:08You have a quarter?
06:11Inspired by my mother.
06:34I'm finding that same spirit in South Africa through magic our differences can
06:42fall away. Every card is different and show everybody. This was the card.
06:57Squeeze the pieces tight. I've made my way to the eastern coast, to KwaZulu-Natal.
07:13The roots of magic run deeper here and go beyond entertainment. Muzi's showing me something
07:19that goes back generations to his ancestors.
07:22This is where traditional healers will come to look for, like, particular herbs.
07:29And everything they're selling here is kind of, like, medicinal or spiritual.
07:34Yes.
07:37At the Muti market, the Zulu people sell items made from plants and animals to treat physical
07:42ailments. And some believe they have magical properties and can work supernaturally.
07:48Like, what is all this? So, some of them helps you taking away bad, like, evil spirits.
07:54What animal?
07:55Of course.
08:00Zulu healers, called Sangoma, use bones, seeds, and shells to perform these healing rituals.
08:11They believe there's a deep spiritual connection between people and these objects.
08:18That smells really good.
08:20That smells really good.
08:21Very strong.
08:22It smells great.
08:23Can I ask you a question?
08:25Yeah.
08:26Are you not scared when you touch it?
08:27Touch what?
08:28Like, you touch, like, the bones and all that stuff. You're like, what's this?
08:31No.
08:32Why, you are?
08:33You're afraid when you touch those things?
08:35What?
08:36Are you really?
08:37So, when you touch the things, you get superstitious?
08:41Yeah.
08:42Wow.
08:43I would lie.
08:44I'm the exact opposite.
08:46Yeah?
08:47Because I'm a magician, I think that there's a scientific, logical explanation behind everything.
08:52And please don't get me wrong. I'm not dispelling it.
08:55But I think it's powerful here.
08:57Yeah.
08:58There's not a scientific and logical explanation to everything. Maybe we're not supposed to
09:05make sense of some of the stuff. Maybe we're supposed to enjoy the magic of it and leave
09:10it at that.
09:11It's interesting to hear Muzi's perspective that the beliefs of his ancestors are deeply
09:17ingrained in the culture.
09:19All South Africans know the spirituality and the amazing land, the magic. It's all one
09:28thing. It's a way of life. And I think that's what a lot of us as modern African people are
09:34trying to actually hold on to.
09:43In this region, nature remains remarkably preserved.
09:51Some people have developed an almost magical ability to get closer to these animals in order
09:57to protect them. There's one man here who has an unbelievable skill that I've been obsessed with
10:04for years.
10:08We're on the Alawolf Shoal. It's a famous reef in South Africa, especially for sharks. We've got a
10:14variety of different sharks. We have black tips here. We've got bull sharks. The visibility is
10:21not great. It's going to be a bit challenging, but it's good enough to work in, you know?
10:25One, two, three, go!
10:51Walter Bernardis is a shark conservationist. He's pioneered his own version of a special technique
10:58to save injured sharks across South Africa's oceans.
11:04Sometimes they've got hooks in them. Sometimes they've got plastic stuck around their gills. Sometimes
11:10they've got fishing line around their tails. We see sharks with hooks in them every single day.
11:20And they're on the other side of their tails.
11:23Through very subtle movements and pressure on the dorsal fin,
11:27he gently brings sharks into a transect state.
11:33It's called tonic immobility.
11:38Tonic immobility is when the shark goes upside down and is in this natural state.
11:45It's completely calm, relaxed, and they can stay in that state for minutes.
11:54While the shark is in tonic, Walter can check for hooks, fishing lines,
11:58and injuries that may be hard to see.
12:02In these murky waters, Walter relies on timing, agility, and intuition.
12:07I've always been fascinated by magicians who work with wild animals.
12:15But it blows my mind to see it being done with a shark.
12:23Let the shark come in the right direction for a start.
12:27Give it a twist, push, and at the same time, grab the dorsal and bring it over.
12:32Okay.
12:39I once spent several days swimming in open water with dozens of great white sharks,
12:45armed with nothing more than a tuxedo.
12:49This is completely different.
12:52Then, I wasn't thinking about their vulnerabilities.
12:58Here, I'm actually interacting with them.
13:03And trying to bring a wild creature that we're conditioned to fear into a calm, trance-like state.
13:15It takes practice.
13:16Using his remarkable ability, Walter's technique seems to break down a barrier,
13:32and I feel more connected than ever.
13:48That was pretty incredible.
13:50When it comes to sharks, we taught fear.
13:55And we need to dispel this myth that sharks are these mindless killers.
14:02They are on a path of extinction, and we need to fall in love with sharks again.
14:07Within this vast landscape of South Africa, there are many animals that evoke a primal fear amongst people.
14:25A short drive north in KwaZulu-Natal, there's another man who's devoted to changing prejudice toward one legendary creature
14:31that's a part of life here.
14:38Nice to meet you, David.
14:39Nice to meet you, David.
14:40Nice to meet you, David.
14:41How you doing?
14:42Good. Oh, wow.
14:46Snake-sitting first gained attention here in the 1980s.
14:51Some locals sat in small enclosures with snakes trying to prove that they aren't as aggressive as people think.
14:57Daring exploits such as these are helping slowly to change people's attitudes towards what is considered to be a much maligned animal.
15:06I've always been intrigued by this, but it's terrifying.
15:11Do you want to hop in?
15:13Yeah, come up in.
15:14Yeah, I like sitting here. It's good.
15:16I like sitting there.
15:17Yeah, it's cool, man.
15:20Neville runs a rehab facility for rescued snakes.
15:23He sometimes starts his day by meditating with a forest cobra.
15:32But that's nothing compared to what else he does here.
15:35Whoa!
15:36Oh, my God.
15:40What?
15:42Is that not the most beautiful creature under the sun?
15:45Wow.
15:46He sits with perhaps the most feared snakes in all of Africa.
15:50Black mambas.
15:58How many black mambas are in here?
16:00Six.
16:01Oh, my God!
16:05Six wild and deadly snakes are in this small enclosure.
16:10This creature is unlike anything else in the world.
16:15It's vast, territorial, and unpredictable.
16:18It can strike multiple times with deadly venom that goes straight to your nerves and heart.
16:26If bitten by a black mamba, there's almost a 100% chance of death if it's not treated immediately.
16:33This is crazy.
16:43God.
16:46Neville's story should make him the last person to snake sit.
16:51Black mamba bites have already put him in a coma.
16:55Plus, he's missing a leg from an incident during another snake rescue.
16:59That's cool. It's just me.
17:03If you look at its mouth, this is the big smile.
17:05The black smile.
17:07Yeah, so it's called the smile of death.
17:11And he opens his mouth, you're looking into death.
17:13Wow.
17:14And the head's the same shape as a coffin.
17:16That's called the coffin-shaped head, because that's pretty much where you're going.
17:19She's going around your chair.
17:24I'm watching that one. This could get complicated now.
17:28He doesn't even need to really bite.
17:30He can just stab you with this thing, and he's got you.
17:32And you're done.
17:33Yeah.
17:37When you're looking at Neville with those snakes, you have to understand,
17:42the person with those snakes is at the mercy of those snakes.
17:47I've never seen anything like this anywhere.
17:50Never.
17:52Not on that .
17:53David, are you ready to get in?
17:55Hell no.
17:55The black mamba, for me, the risk was immediate death.
18:11Before I would even think about going in.
18:13I had to watch him in that environment and try to even process how he could do that.
18:20This is the queasiest thing I've ever seen, by far.
18:26As a kid, growing up in the bush camps, there isn't a single campfire that doesn't end off with a mambas.
18:35So many stories of guys that were killed by mambas.
18:39Those stories drive with fear into people.
18:44I got to know a different side to mambas.
18:48Yes, we are on our way.
18:50Neville and his wife, Helen, rescue almost 100 black mambas every year.
18:55Because he's coming back.
18:57Okay, his head's coming out.
18:58There we go.
18:59They've made it their mission to change the perception of black mambas in communities where
19:04they're often killed.
19:05What black mamba are you?
19:07There's this myth that black mambas chase you, they're aggressive, they want to kill you.
19:14Nothing is further from the truth.
19:15Neville goes to this extreme to ease people's fears and protect mambas and people from each other.
19:27And he's willing to risk everything to prove his point.
19:29Now it's my turn.
19:36Neville instructs me that as soon as I enter their space, I cannot react to anything no matter what
19:43happens.
19:43And I can't leave until he gives me the okay.
19:50I was really intent on getting on me.
19:53And then when you come here, it's going to rush to do the same with you.
19:57That's reassuring right before I'm about to go in.
20:01I'm trying to psych myself up because my brain is saying, don't do this.
20:10I don't think I've ever felt so vulnerable.
20:14The adrenaline is running hot.
20:16It's not good to get in with mambas.
20:19You need to be sure that you're at peace, you're calm.
20:31Black mambas can be extremely high-strung.
20:38And any small movement could be perceived as a threat.
20:41How's the tank? Welcome to my world, bro.
20:46Your world is crazy.
20:49If the snake decides to come at you, there's nothing that you can do.
20:54It's tricky.
20:55The key needs more space.
21:04God.
21:10Slow, moving, slow, moving.
21:12Here he comes.
21:13All right.
21:14Get out.
21:15Yeah, I just said, just said, yeah.
21:18When we're sitting there, he looks at me and says, don't worry.
21:22If it goes after us, I'll take the hit.
21:24I was like, get me out of here.
21:32My heart is racing.
21:35Just please, just please, just please.
21:48Let me tell you something.
21:49You got a pair of balls like a camel, eh?
21:53Wait, I got her.
21:57My heart rate is flying, but she's incredible.
22:02Yeah, I know you know the hook.
22:05That's cool.
22:07I brought a mate along.
22:08I wanted to have a chat with you.
22:10Check. This is David.
22:12Don't trust him in a card, Jay.
22:14This dude does weird stuff with cards.
22:16This is so funny for a ball.
22:21Tell me why.
22:22Okay, you can go.
22:23Okay, doors opening.
22:26Last big step.
22:27This was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life.
22:39That was crazy.
22:41I put myself fully at the mercy of something I can't control.
22:47That was the most intense stunt endurance performance that I've ever, ever seen.
22:56That was unbelievable.
22:59My heart rate from watching you was like 127 beats per minute.
23:05But, Neville, you are the coolest human being on the planet.
23:09Nah, just a guy in this moment.
23:11Because that's a thing.
23:12And can I give you both a hug?
23:13Oh, awesome, awesome, awesome.
23:19Without Neville, it wouldn't have been possible.
23:24And I can't imagine any other place in the world where I could have experienced this.
23:34Here in South Africa, I've seen the way people use their talents to bring unity and understanding.
23:40But there's one thing that I want to return to that embodies that spirit.
23:49Something way outside of my comfort zone.
23:54It's performative, intense, and connects with an audience just as a magician should.
24:01I can't leave South Africa without trying it.
24:04I'm back in Johannesburg.
24:22And EZ's put me in touch with some of the best spinners in the world.
24:28First, there's Samson, a true innovator in the square.
24:34I'm also meeting Kayla.
24:41She's been spinning since she was 14 years old and was one of the first to be featured on the cover of national newspapers.
24:50I'm also meeting Kayla.
24:55I'm also meeting Kayla.
24:56She's been spinning since she was 14 years old and was one of the first to be featured on the cover of national newspapers.
25:05Performing her signature move.
25:08The suicide slide.
25:09Oh, I'm driving.
25:22She has complete confidence because I'm a magician.
25:28I don't even know how to shift gears.
25:33You know, I have complete faith.
25:35Oh, the seat doesn't go back?
25:37Nope.
25:38Oh, my God.
25:39Wow.
25:41Yeah.
25:42Woo!
25:43Okay, so normal, you can have your clutch in.
25:47Put this?
25:48Yeah.
25:48Okay, now first is up here.
25:58I never knew how fun it could be to drive a car so hard that the tires explode.
26:03That was awesome.
26:14How was that?
26:15It was amazing.
26:16So, next I want to teach you what we do in South Africa.
26:19We do stunts.
26:20We could try.
26:21Yeah.
26:22And then I come back up like that and then I'm back in and we're good.
26:26Kayla and her partner Jabu spend the day teaching me the suicide slide.
26:33You're sitting there and the car is spinning.
26:40And you don't know the timing to get back in without getting whacked by the car.
26:50We have an American spinner now.
26:51Yeah, I don't know about that.
26:55Falling out is a big risk, even if Kayla kills the engine.
27:03When I lean back, I can go all the way to the ground, right?
27:06Yes, I'll watch you.
27:07I'll watch you.
27:08By the way, if this is a movie, there'd be harnesses and rigging.
27:11Yeah, and helmets.
27:13You wouldn't be able to only a helmet.
27:14The whole thing.
27:16Are you ready to take it to the next level?
27:17What is the next level?
27:21A few days later, they think I'm ready to join Kayla and Sam Sam in a stunt before a live audience.
27:29So, we're going to talk ideas?
27:31We could do double suicide.
27:33David at the bottom, me on top.
27:34And Kayla on top.
27:35Yeah.
27:36My tire now.
27:37Yeah, I see.
27:38The last one.
27:39No.
27:39What?
27:40What's he having here?
27:40Yeah, boy.
27:41So, Sam Sam, he was thinking of doing the triple suicide.
27:45So, I'm saying no, no, no.
27:45Yeah.
27:46Oh, I just got...
27:47A triple suicide would be crazy.
27:51Like this?
27:53More grip from the top, yes.
27:54Like this?
27:55They think we can pull off a triple suicide slide, where Sam Sam Kayla and I each hang from a different window.
28:03But that means if I fall and no one's there to kill the engine, there's a high chance that I'd get run over.
28:10Let's try it.
28:13Let's do this!
28:18The first step is getting a feel for how Sam Sam handles the car.
28:21If David does stand and his heart is not there, that's where you're gonna make mistakes.
28:28Then he's gonna fall.
28:30He can fall and injure himself.
28:32He can fall and be dragged by a moving vehicle.
28:35You're like, oh, I could hold on to the car.
28:38Then you're like, whoa!
28:43The g-force of Sam Sam's car whipping around almost launched me onto the pitch.
28:48And I was holding on with every bit of strength that I had.
28:57With the suicide slide, I'll basically be holding on with my toes.
29:03Suicide stunt is one of the craziest stunts that a spinner can do.
29:08Can you imagine?
29:1060 k's an hour with your skull a few centimeters from the ground and hanging upside down.
29:16That's playing with it itself.
29:21Is that good, Sam Sam?
29:22To tie the back down.
29:23I think it's okay. Let me try.
29:26There's two rusty bolts holding the chair in.
29:29From all this, it came loose.
29:32Don't want to fall out while they're sliding.
29:35Ladies and gentlemen, are you winners?
29:41Now it's time to try to pull this thing off.
29:48The champ is here.
29:53Make some noise!
29:55Here we get spinners, here on this African continent, walking for a little get-together.
30:05Techie, shout for Rodney Taylor's white box.
30:12Techie!
30:16Straight into the kitchen, Sam.
30:19Taylor, you know what you're at.
30:21I think we got David Feeney for me.
30:35I think we got David Feeney for me.
30:40Oh, my God.
31:10Oh, my God.
31:40Oh, my God.
31:41Oh, my God.
31:42It was incredible.
31:57The magic, the reactions, the people.
32:00They let me come into their world as a performer and shared their secrets with me.
32:10Oh, my God.
32:11Oh, my God.
32:13Oh, my God.
32:14That's amazing.
32:15Oh, my God.
32:16Oh, my God.
32:17There's somebody who grew up in a township.
32:19There's somebody who grew up in a township, I know what spinning means to our people.
32:29We are crafting our own narrative by doing what we are doing for other generations to
32:35see and to follow that this can be done and this can bring unity.
32:42Spinning in South Africa shows a lot of who we can be.
32:49Sulu men now got some big teams.
32:56Been around the world, that's a big team.
33:01Wow!
33:05Yeah!
33:07Woo!
33:13From my last day in South Africa, there's one place I have to see.
33:28The College of Magic.
33:30The one-of-a-kind school that took great risks to open for students of all races during apartheid.
33:37I love this, this looks so good.
33:43Over 40 years later, it's still flourishing.
33:47Can you do a hand punching between juggling?
33:50Wow!
33:51Just walking in here, there's so much to take in.
33:55Wow!
33:56This is an amazing spot.
33:57Wow!
33:58He is amazing.
34:00He baffles the medical work.
34:02This is so good.
34:03I never thought, ah!
34:07It's incredible to see nearly 400 kids of all races and backgrounds learning sleight-of-hand,
34:13mentalism, performance, and stage magic.
34:16Wow!
34:17Come on!
34:18It's incredible.
34:19That was beautiful choreography.
34:21Wow!
34:27This school gives these kids an incredible opportunity.
34:31Let me sit in, no, I want to watch what he's teaching.
34:33Let me sit in the back.
34:34Yes, of course.
34:35Sir David?
34:36Magic teaches performance, communication, psychology, philosophy, math, science, so it's
34:43so much.
34:44Here we go.
34:45Let me ask you a question.
34:46Up-jog any four of a kind, like four aces.
34:50So, can you think of one of those?
34:53Mm-hmm.
34:54Push them back in.
34:55Yeah, it's impossible.
34:57Sure.
35:01It was a black card?
35:02Yes.
35:03Ah.
35:04What was the card?
35:05The Jack of Clubs.
35:07The Jack of Clubs.
35:08The Jack of Clubs.
35:09The Jack of Clubs.
35:10The Jack of Clubs.
35:11The Jack of Clubs.
35:12The Jack of Clubs.
35:13Can I cut it off?
35:14Yes.
35:15Yes.
35:16It's a check.
35:17Yeah!
35:18Ah!
35:19You all want to learn that one.
35:24So, I'll teach it, but we have to get rid of the cameras.
35:30You will fool all magicians, all the best of them, the best in the world.
35:35And it's simple and nobody knows.
35:37Sorry, magicians only.
35:39And it's terrible and not true, but it's kept on.
35:40It's nice and easy.
35:41But it's just, it's good to use.
35:42It's just, it's cool, but we will do great.
35:43Yeah!
35:44I'll come back.
35:45You've got the great thing and everything.
35:46And we are so proud to have the best of them.
35:47And I'll say, I'll keep your garden and the poor.
35:49Yes.
35:50It's cool.
35:51It's a fun day.
35:52It's fun.
35:53And I'll be happy with you, too.
35:54I'm going to see you next time, we'll be happy with you, too.
35:55It's fun.
35:56And it's fun.
35:57I'll be happy with you, too.
35:58It's fun with you, too.
35:59It's fun.
36:01And it's fun with me.