Documentary- Dark Tourist; Japan
What is this Documentary about? What is it's purpose?
In this documentary series, journalist David Farrier travels the world in search for the darkest and most disturbing tourist spots. In this particular episode, David travels to Japan where he visits a number of strange and creepy locations. These places include a radioactive ghost-town, which was hit by both an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, a hotel where the staff are robots and the notorious Aokigahara Forest, also known as 'the suicide forest'.
The purpose of this documentary is to act as both an insight into the darker parts of the world which are available to tourists, as well as question the ethicality of these twisted tourist trips. For example, while in Fukushima, Farrier and the other tourists were told that radiation levels would not exceed 2.1 on their Geiger counters as areas above the limit were deemed unsafe, however the Geiger counters exceeded far beyond this number, even going up to fifty times the acceptable amount of radiation in one area. Being exposed to radiation of this level could lead to many health complication, including cancer and the possibility that, should any of the exposed people choose to have a baby, it could be born with genetic mutations. The documentary offers an exclusive insight into the way these tourist attractions are managed, therefore exposing the risks and shadier side of the business itself.
Dark Tourist: Japan is a documentary which allows itself to be viewed with an open mind and lets the viewer to come to their own conclusions when the documentary deals with certain subjects. For instance, when the crew go to the Aokigahara Forest, they discuss with the tour guide that many believe that the forest is haunted and the spirits cause hikers to commit suicide. They even meet a woman who claims to have been attacked by these spirits and insists that the crew perform a special ritual in order to avoid the spirits. The documentary does not attempt to disprove the local's beliefs and Farrier respects the local's beliefs and goes along with the ritual.
The purpose of this documentary is to inform the viewers of the darker parts of the world and the ways you can see these places for yourself, as a tourist. The documentary also sheds light on the practices of these tourist attractions, allowing the viewers to see any potential dangers of such tourist attractions.
Does this Documentary reach a Local, National or Global audience?
Dark Tourist: Japan is part of an ongoing documentary series on Netflix. The series itself is actually a Netflix Exclusive and therefore can be viewed in any country across the globe, which has access to Netflix. Not only is this practical due to the fact that the documentary itself takes place all across the globe, it is also a benefit business-wise. If the documentary was shown exclusively to one country, this could lead to less views or lower ratings, since the country has a low amount of people who are the show's main demographic.
What techniques does the Producer use to create an impact on the audience?
Archive footage is used multiple times throughout the documentary. For instance, when focusing on Fukushima, footage is shown of the earthquake and tsunami which swept through the city and destroyed it, which resulted in the collapse of a nearby nuclear power plant. This footage is shown in order to show just how damaging this natural disaster was for the civilians who lived there, thus creating an emotional impact for the viewers. Archive footage is also shown when the locals of an old, abandoned island town returned to their homes fifty years later. The old footage of a bustling city filled with workers and children contrasted with the current footage of the dilapidated apartment blocks and estates create a sense of nostalgia and loss for the viewer, which allows them to sympathize with the locals.
Bibliography:
All rights to Dark Tourist are owned by Netflix.
Pictures Courtesy of
-newshub.co.nz
-mirror.co.uk
-darktourism2015.weebly.com
-brandsoftheworld.com
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