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Narrator: Derelict yet famous.
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00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,080
Empty but iconic.
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00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,880
Five abandoned sites
engrained in Hollywood history.
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00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,960
From the hauntingly familiar.
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00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,160
When you see this landscape
you get a sense of deja vu
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00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,160
like you've seen this before.
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00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,560
To ghost towns that make perfect
backdrops for fantastical tales.
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Hollywood was
scouting for a location
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for a new movie
they were making,
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00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,120
they found this amazing
village, forgotten by time.
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00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:43,160
Long forgotten ruins given
new life by the silver screen.
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00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,440
It was scheduled for demolition
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00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:49,120
but just before that a film
crew came to shoot a movie
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00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,600
that of course, has
become world famous.
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00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,240
And the real places that
inspired summer blockbusters.
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00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:03,160
This Ridge is related to one of
the most iconic stories in us history,
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00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,160
it was made for
the silver screen.
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00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,520
These are five of cinemas
most iconic abandoned places.
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Decaying relics.
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Ruins of lost worlds.
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Sites haunted by the past...
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..Their secrets
waiting to be revealed.
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00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,160
In Tunisia on the edge
of the Sahara desert
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00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,520
a curious structure
emerges from shifting sands.
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00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:03,280
When you first see this landscape
it's very alien, very barren,
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00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,640
but also there's
something familiar about it,
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00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,000
you get a sense of deja vu,
like you've seen this before.
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00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,800
It looks like it could have
been there 200 years
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00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:17,640
or indeed 2,000 years,
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00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,520
you just can't tell looking
at it from a distance.
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00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,720
Closer inspection
reveals menacing features.
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00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,320
The people who built this
obviously had a lot to be afraid of
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and a lot to protect.
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00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,280
This high exterior wall is clearly
there to protect the settlement
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but from whom?
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00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,600
What links this place to another
complex marooned 175 miles away
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00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:50,640
across the largest
salt pan in the Sahara?
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00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:53,320
There's no-one here.
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00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,880
The sand has been pushed
up against the structures,
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00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:58,240
it's been abandoned
for some time.
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00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,080
They seem really out of place
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00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,640
as if they were dropped
out of an aeroplane
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00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:05,440
in to here the
middle of nowhere.
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00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,080
Fantastical events a long
time ago connect both sites
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00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,520
but this place is far and
away different to the first.
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00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,800
Here you see something
that at first looks ancient
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00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,880
but you quickly
realise it isn't,
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this is something
built more recently
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00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,240
but it's entered in to
our collective imagination
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00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,480
as if it's a real place.
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00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,120
You start to realise that these
are not all permanent structures,
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00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:38,520
what's really going on here?
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00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:39,880
Where did these
things come from?
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00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:45,560
And what out of this world force
made both these sites world famous?
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And gave Hollywood's
favourite intergalactic hero
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00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,000
a place to call home?
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00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,880
This multi celled construction
is ksar ouled soltane.
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00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,760
Doctor Ali thabti is an expert on
these strange abandoned structures.
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00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,960
Translation: "The ksar was
protected from anything that lay outside
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00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,560
"because there was
only one entrance
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00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,440
"there was no other
way of penetrating it
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00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,000
"other than through
this gate called a skiffer."
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00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:24,800
Dating from the 16th century
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00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,800
ksar ouled soltane
is a fortified village
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00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,720
which straddles an
ancient saharan trade route.
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00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,896
Translation: "Most people of
this region are engaged in trade
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00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,080
"either directly or indirectly.
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00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,640
"Slaves, precious metals,
ivory and other products
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00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,560
"were all being imported
from neighbouring Sudan."
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00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,320
The semi nomadic culture who built
this place were called the berbers.
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00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,320
The berber people have occupied
this region since Roman times
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00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,040
and it's they that bought
this distinct style of building.
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00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,800
And here we've got lots of
these little dome structures,
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00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:13,800
very defensive, very
small, but clearly important.
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00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:22,800
Each cell was known as a gorfer
and it would hold the food reserves
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00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:24,160
for a particular family.
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00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,880
For centuries they
would use that to protect
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00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,760
their grain and their olives.
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00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,720
This is your insurance
policy, this is your bank.
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00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,880
They had to get
through dry seasons
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00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,720
and they had to keep
outsiders from stealing their food,
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that would be a death sentence.
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00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,160
While it's walls offered
protection from raiders
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00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,920
the secret to the gorfer cell
success was their rounded roofs
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which deflect the sun.
86
00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:01,136
Translation: "Because
the temperature
87
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:02,840
"never goes above
17 or 18 degrees
88
00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,280
"these rooms preserve
food products stored in them.
89
00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:10,200
"So for instance
barley can be kept here
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00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,600
"for five, six or even seven years
without anything happening to it."
91
00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,800
For centuries these domes
helped protect the berbers
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00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:26,080
from the cruel
conditions of the Sahara.
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00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,120
Then in 1976 their
other worldly shape
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00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,560
inspired the realisation of
a very different desert world
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00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,720
at another neglected site
almost 200 miles away.
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00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,880
It's a link that only
begins to make sense
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00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,360
when a distinctive dome
structure comes in to view.
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00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,200
In the seemingly
never ending desert
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00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:58,280
it looks tiny and insignificant
but it is immediately recognisable.
100
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,920
It's quite obvious this is Luke
Skywalker's childhood home.
101
00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,840
Now you know where you are.
102
00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,040
The scenes at the Lars homestead
103
00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:17,280
really set the
tone for 'star wars',
104
00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,200
for the original 'star wars'.
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00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,640
In 1976 director George Lucas
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00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:26,000
brought Hollywood to this
remote corner of Tunisia.
107
00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,080
Inspired by the domed architecture
of the ancient berber grain store,
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00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,680
Lucas built a set here
and the Sandy landscape
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00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,480
became Luke Skywalker's
home planet of Tatooine.
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00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,720
It's that iconic I am surprised
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00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,080
that there aren't two
suns on the horizon,
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00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:50,640
it's so burnt in to our brains
that you expect Luke Skywalker
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00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,920
or his aunt or uncle to
come round the corner.
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00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,480
This is where it all started,
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00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:02,040
the original movie set
of the first 'star wars' film,
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00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:03,360
'a new hope'.
117
00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,096
I mean, you stand
and you look at it
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00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,800
and just for a moment
you're transported
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00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,640
to a galaxy far, far away.
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00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,120
Initially they went to Tunisia
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00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,760
because it was a
cost effective location
122
00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,280
with the deserts they wanted
123
00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,880
but then Tunisia and it's
culture and architecture
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00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,280
started influencing the movies.
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00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,600
The Tunisian landscape seemed
a dream fit for Lucas' vision.
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00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,640
But the brutal desert
climate would be unforgiving.
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00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:45,240
So key date, 22 march 1976,
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00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,040
George Lucas shouts
action out here in Tunisia
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00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,120
and it hasn't rained in
seven years to this point
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00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:54,040
and then what do you know it,
131
00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,000
the rains come down
for the next four days.
132
00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,120
A storm rolled in and it
reeked havoc on the set,
133
00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:08,120
in fact the top of the Lars
homestead was blown right off
134
00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:12,680
and the model they were
using for the jawa's ship,
135
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,760
the sand crawler
was almost destroyed.
136
00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,960
Everything is just
being washed away.
137
00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,840
What a way to start
this whole universe.
138
00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,960
Production continued
139
00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,200
and 'star wars' became
a celluloid sensation.
140
00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,040
Although few expected George
Lucas to return to Tunisia.
141
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,120
So the sets were just left,
142
00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,400
just left to the
environment and left to rot.
143
00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,200
But Tunisia's unique architecture
proved too much of a draw
144
00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,760
and Lucas did come back.
145
00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,480
This time the ancient grain
store at ksar ouled soltane
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00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,120
took centre stage.
147
00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,800
They actually used
the gorfers as a set,
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00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,520
as a location for
the phantom menace
149
00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:05,520
and these cells that were
once used for food storage
150
00:10:05,560 --> 00:10:08,800
became, used as prison cells
151
00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,640
where Anakin and his
mother are imprisoned
152
00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:13,080
in 'the phantom menace'.
153
00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,320
The ancient walls made a
perfect intergalactic prison
154
00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,600
but Lucas wanted more from
the barren Tunisian landscape.
155
00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,840
And in 1998 he decided
to build his own desert site.
156
00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:33,320
Almost 200 miles away
in the remote nefta region.
157
00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,240
Mos espa is an
entirely invented place,
158
00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,040
it was built as a set in
the middle of nowhere
159
00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,000
when they shot 'the
phantom menace'.
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00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,600
Hamida chebbi
worked on the film.
161
00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,520
Translation: "During filming
there were a lot of people here...
162
00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:56,840
"Around 250.
163
00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,480
"The technical team were 120
164
00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,840
"and on top of that there
were all the actors and so on.
165
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,840
"Sometimes there were 300
people on set, it was a big job."
166
00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,080
Familiar landmarks
of the fictional town
167
00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,920
have withstood weather and
time including the space port gate,
168
00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,400
pod racing area and watto shop.
169
00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,840
Moisture evaporators and
other props also remain,
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00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,760
posing a stark contrast to
the Sandy desert landscape.
171
00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,160
Translation: "They spent nearly
a whole year building this set.
172
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,200
"It was a big undertaking.
173
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,760
"First of all they scouted
in may, June and July.
174
00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,160
"After that it was punishing
building this set in the desert.
175
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,000
"We would start work at 4:00
or even 3:00 in the morning
176
00:11:58,040 --> 00:11:59,960
"and finish at 10:00
or 11:00 at night.
177
00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:02,880
"They were long days.
178
00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:05,200
"The shoot went on
for three more months,
179
00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,880
"then it was all over,
it was like a dream."
180
00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,760
The movie making may
have finished many years ago
181
00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,320
but 'star wars' has become
intrinsically linked to Tunisia.
182
00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,720
Translation: "They
left these great sets
183
00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,120
"which have now become
tourist attractions in the desert."
184
00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:33,680
'Star wars' really changed
this part of Tunisia,
185
00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,440
it really put it on the map.
186
00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,440
It's become a place of
pilgrimage for 'star wars' fans.
187
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,856
Translation: "I'm so happy to
have been part of making the film,
188
00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,560
"it gave an economic
boost to the region
189
00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,520
"and created jobs so that
many people could earn money.
190
00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:55,000
"It was extraordinary."
191
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,240
Today as the
shifting desert sands
192
00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,040
threaten to engulf the
'star wars' sets in nefta,
193
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:10,440
ksar ouled soltane
still stands resolute.
194
00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,000
Perched here for over 500 years
195
00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,800
it is testament to it's
builders skill and ingenuity.
196
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:20,920
In some ways the
'star wars' stories
197
00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,880
are stories of a struggle
against the odds.
198
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,720
And that mirrors the
story of the berbers
199
00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:34,240
who only survived in this harsh
landscape by banding together and,
200
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,280
and cooperating against a desert
201
00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,600
that was really encroaching
upon them on every side.
202
00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,280
In Ohio near the
city of Mansfield
203
00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,040
stands a haunting facility
saved from destruction
204
00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,360
by a remarkable
Hollywood connection.
205
00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:03,680
The same day that the wrecking
balls came to tear this place down
206
00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,080
was the same day that the
filming company showed up.
207
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,640
But no matter what
Hollywood dreamt up,
208
00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:14,160
it could never compete
with the real story.
209
00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,080
This buildings origins stretched
back to the late 19th century.
210
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,240
This site at Mansfield was chosen
in 1885 for a very special reason
211
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,680
and a very particular project.
212
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,640
To take young
offenders and rehabilitate
213
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,120
and re-educate them in the
most positive way possible.
214
00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,480
It was a reformatory
215
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,400
so the notion was that you
weren't just punishing people
216
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,080
you were helping them learn
217
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:45,856
and then you would
release them out in the world
218
00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,440
and they would
commit crimes no more.
219
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,840
This is the Ohio
state reformatory.
220
00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,480
Completed in 1911.
221
00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,840
Inside, expert Ron puff,
222
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:04,200
finds evidence that shows
how the idealistic reformatory
223
00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,000
soon became a
crowded adult facility.
224
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:12,576
We're currently in
the west cell block,
225
00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,040
this is five tiers,
originally 350 cells
226
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,120
meant for one inmate to a cell,
227
00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,056
ended up from the very
beginning with two inmates
228
00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:21,800
so we housed 700 inmates here.
229
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,760
You could be stabbed,
you could be mugged,
230
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,080
you could be thrown
off a high walkway.
231
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,640
I mean, the place was such
that you were in fear of your life
232
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,680
each and every day.
233
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,880
Inmates were told when you
came here make yourself a weapon
234
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,080
and hide it in the backyard,
235
00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,120
so if everything goes crazy you
at least know where your shank
236
00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,960
or your rock or whatever it is
you placed is so you could be safe.
237
00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,280
By the 1930s the
Ohio state reformatory
238
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,000
had become a
brutal adult prison.
239
00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,136
For the worst offenders
there was solitary confinement
240
00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,080
here at the reformatory.
241
00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,160
They might keep the
lights on 24 hours a day,
242
00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,200
they might keep the
lights off 24 hours a day.
243
00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:08,080
The hole as it was known
was crammed full of prisoners.
244
00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,040
In one case they had a riot
245
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,320
and they wound up putting
120 prisoners down in the hole
246
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,400
at the same time for 30 days.
247
00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,280
In this instance they actually
found a body that had been murdered
248
00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,920
and stuffed in to a
mattress for several days
249
00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,800
before anyone
realised he was dead.
250
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,480
By the time this facility
was abandoned in 1990
251
00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:37,280
of the 150,000 inmates who
arrived here, 200 never left.
252
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,120
Today this grand facility has
become a major tourist attraction...
253
00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,280
..Thanks to an
extraordinary twist of fate.
254
00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,080
It was scheduled for demotion
255
00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:04,040
but just before that a film
crew came to shoot a movie
256
00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,800
that of course has become world
famous 'the Shawshank redemption'.
257
00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,720
The prison drama staring
morgen Freeman and Tim Robbins
258
00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,000
made the most of this
inhospitable setting.
259
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:20,440
One of the things
we're famous for
260
00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,760
is the movie 'the
Shawshank redemption'.
261
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,680
Now that was filmed
back here in 1993.
262
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,960
And we're so thankful
it happened here
263
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,920
because now we have this
building to show people because of it.
264
00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,920
'The Shawshank redemption'
was the redemption of this prison.
265
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:48,040
In rural north Carolina an
industrial looking ghost town
266
00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,680
doubled for a
cinematic dystopia.
267
00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,840
You see house after house
268
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,680
that looks as though it
hasn't been lived in ever.
269
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:10,640
The houses are laid out
according to some sort of plan.
270
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,760
The houses look
mostly identical.
271
00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,520
And then you've got a smattering
of commercial buildings and a shop.
272
00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:23,840
It's a community.
273
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,040
But it's suddenly
frozen in time.
274
00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,120
There's little to suggest
why this village is here.
275
00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:38,320
This is a land of rocky peaks,
dark hollows, steep river valleys,
276
00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:41,840
it's not a place known
for rich agriculture.
277
00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,280
What would have bought
people to a place like this?
278
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,360
Could traces of manufacturing
next to the nearby river
279
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:50,600
offer up a clue?
280
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,440
Whatever happened to make
everyone here move away
281
00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,160
had to have been worse
282
00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,640
than living in one of the
poorest corners of america.
283
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:05,440
This place might have
been totally forgot,
284
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,640
just a backwater that
no-one remembers,
285
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,520
if it hadn't played a major role
286
00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,240
in one of the largest Hollywood
blockbuster series ever.
287
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:28,200
Calvin reyes spent three years
preserving this dilapidated place.
288
00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:31,520
It's really great to be
able to connect people
289
00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,096
with something that's
you know, more pop culture
290
00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:35,480
and show them a little
bit of piece of history
291
00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,600
that they can then
fall in love with.
292
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,600
The structures here tell a
sorry tale of abject poverty.
293
00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,640
This is a typical floor plan.
294
00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:50,520
So you have four
rooms in the bottom,
295
00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,320
separated by a main wall
296
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:56,680
and so originally you've got
two families living in this house.
297
00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:02,000
The last residents
were early 2000s
298
00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,400
which is still hard for
people to really believe.
299
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,616
Because there was no
running water at that point,
300
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,200
there's no sewer,
it was a tough life.
301
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,880
Former residents, susie
childers and Rick hames
302
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,560
used to call these
simple structures home.
303
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:22,176
This is my house.
This is the house...
304
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,960
It's where we grew
up. ..We lived in, yeah.
305
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,160
I used to throw a baseball
against these steps for hours
306
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,240
and quite a few of those
balls found the windows.
307
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:36,960
In that regard it
looked kind of normal.
308
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,560
It looked good then, it
looks sad now, very sad.
309
00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:48,480
This faded and battered
village is called Henry river.
310
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:54,200
In 2011 it's run down
appearance attracted Hollywood.
311
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,840
When the producers
of 'the hunger games'
312
00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:03,680
were looking for a
place that looked rural
313
00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,720
and impoverished
but still liveable,
314
00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,120
Henry river turned out
to be the perfect place.
315
00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:13,816
This village wasn't
built for the movie,
316
00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,160
this village was built
100 and you know,
317
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,840
six years before the
movie was actually filmed.
318
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,080
They were looking for
a dystopian environment
319
00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:27,680
which clearly we have
in an abandoned village.
320
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,880
This site was used to depict
the grim futuristic home town
321
00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:37,120
of 'the hunger games' main
character katniss everdeen.
322
00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:42,400
It's absolutely perfect,
it's perfect for district 12,
323
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,240
it's perfect for katniss
and her family to live in
324
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,320
because it's the real deal.
325
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:50,040
Generations of people
have lived and worked here
326
00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:51,680
and bought up
their own families.
327
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:54,840
Thanks to the movie,
328
00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,080
millions now know
this village as district 12.
329
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,240
But the real story of this isolated
village is altogether different.
330
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,040
There has to be something
331
00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,160
that makes it economically
feasible and logical
332
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:15,000
for all these people to congregate
in this pretty remote location.
333
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,080
Geography is the reason
that this town is here.
334
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,280
You've got a very steep valley
335
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,120
with a lovely river
flowing through it.
336
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,000
A 100-year-old dam at
the edge of the settlement
337
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,080
demonstrates the
importance of the river.
338
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,320
I'd say about eight to
ten months of the year
339
00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:39,400
they'd be able to run
off of water power.
340
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,400
The river was high enough
and producing enough flow.
341
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,360
All this power was being used
342
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,760
to manufacture an
important commodity, cotton.
343
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,200
In us history,
344
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,360
famously, cotton was the backbone
of the economy in the south.
345
00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,240
That cotton was
being shipped overseas
346
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,760
to be made into cloth
in britain and France
347
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,200
but after the civil war,
after slavery ended,
348
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,160
cotton was still being
grown in the south,
349
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,680
but the new idea was
to build cotton mills.
350
00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:23,080
In 1903, the Henry river
manufacturing company
351
00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:27,000
bought 1,500 acres at
this site and transformed it
352
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,560
into a thriving cotton
production centre.
353
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,600
The company erected
35 worker houses,
354
00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,560
a two-storey boarding house,
355
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,040
a bridge, a brick company store,
356
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,640
the power-producing dam
357
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,600
and the original
three-storey brick mill building
358
00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,800
where the cotton
yarn was produced.
359
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,800
Early on when they first
started operating in 1905
360
00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:55,920
they were working
with 4,000 spindles,
361
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,360
and within a few years though
they tripled that production.
362
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,176
At any given time
they had, you know,
363
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:01,800
over 100 employees
working in the mill.
364
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,120
This was your classic company town,
everything was owned by the company,
365
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,960
they provided
everything which in a way,
366
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,200
is the image of the
beneficent company
367
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,160
that wants to make
life good for its workers
368
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:19,840
but also tended to trap
workers into staying in the town.
369
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,200
For some, millwork
was their only choice.
370
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,800
My mum had a job in the mill,
371
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,600
she thought this was
the perfect spot to live.
372
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,320
I can remember
listening to my mum talk
373
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:44,080
as with a lot of other
families in that day and time
374
00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:46,960
when they got to be a certain
age and they were able to work.
375
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,040
They had to work so...
376
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,600
..She went to work in the mill
377
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,680
before she ever
graduated from high school.
378
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,880
Their entire lives
were spent here.
379
00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,400
Industrial accidents were
common in busy cotton mills
380
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,480
and the Henry river
mill was no exception.
381
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,040
You'd have people especially
early on in production
382
00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:07,456
that were coming
straight off the farm,
383
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,496
they're not used to working in
a manufacturing environment,
384
00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,200
and here's these giant
machines that they're working on
385
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,320
that didn't have the
same safety regulations
386
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:15,480
that we have today.
387
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:17,760
Injuries were normal.
388
00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:19,496
People would lose
appendages, they'd lose fingers,
389
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:20,856
they'd lose hands,
they'd get crushed,
390
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:21,880
they'd break bones.
391
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,760
It's just part of
life in a textile mill.
392
00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:30,440
My mother was injured
pretty significantly in the mill.
393
00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,720
She got her hand caught in
one of the winding machines
394
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:35,960
and had several surgeries.
395
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,280
The tough working life and poverty
created a tight-knit community
396
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:43,760
at Henry river.
397
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,480
The epicentre of this
neighbourhood was the brick building
398
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,760
that would double
as district 12's bakery,
399
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:50,960
the company store.
400
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,520
So this was the place
where everything happened,
401
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,440
this is where they centred
around, not necessarily the mill.
402
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,720
The mill is a means of
making money and surviving
403
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,840
and this is where the
community was built around,
404
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:04,920
this central store.
405
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,200
But as the 20th
century progressed,
406
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,720
life here would take
a turn for the worse.
407
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,960
It closed in 1970,
408
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,520
but the vast mill building
was still fully intact.
409
00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,200
In 1977 it was
struck by lightning
410
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,600
and burned to the ground
by the next morning.
411
00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:28,680
You could see it
for miles, the fireball,
412
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,360
'cause it just completely went
up and there was no saving it.
413
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,360
With the mill burnt
to its very foundations,
414
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,240
there was no chance of work
for the people of the village
415
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,240
and they eventually dispersed.
416
00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,440
Today the industrial heritage
of Henry river mill village
417
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:52,720
has been revived...
418
00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,280
It's really neat
to go back in time
419
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:01,640
and see what some
of these things look like
420
00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,000
and you find everything,
it's really incredible.
421
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:08,280
..And the village has also
been given a new kind of history.
422
00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,080
I don't know if they
actually film some
423
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:13,560
at the house we lived
in at the top of the hill,
424
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,320
my daughter tells me
now I lived in district 12.
425
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,960
Off the southwest coast of Japan
426
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,400
is an obliterated and
deserted island site.
427
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,560
Once the thrilling backdrop for
James Bond's bitter showdown
428
00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,080
in the movie 'skyfall'.
429
00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,040
A high wall
surrounds the island.
430
00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:54,600
It's not clear what it was
built to keep in or out.
431
00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,160
So what happened
at this torn out site
432
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,640
and what became of the 5,000
people who once lived here?
433
00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,520
This is hashima island.
434
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,640
Former resident tomoji
kobata remembers the first time
435
00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,320
he saw this place,
436
00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:21,080
known locally as
battleship island.
437
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,776
Translation: "When I saw the
island from a ship for the first time,
438
00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,720
"I noticed that it really
looked like a battleship.
439
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,080
"Another thing I
was surprised by
440
00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:36,960
"was the sheer number of
reinforced concrete buildings."
441
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:44,000
Derelict industrial structures
reveal the true purpose of this site.
442
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,040
Coal was first discovered
here in the 19th century
443
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,160
and four deep shafts
were sunk to extract it.
444
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,040
You're talking about
digging a 200m deep mine
445
00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,480
in the sea next to
this tiny little island,
446
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,280
it's an incredible
logistical challenge.
447
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,440
The deeper you go into the mine,
448
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,480
the more material
you're bringing up.
449
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,280
And to use that to backfill
450
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,840
and make your
island slightly bigger
451
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,800
to maybe then house more
miners so you can go even deeper.
452
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:22,680
It kind of keeps going
round and round.
453
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:23,880
Where does it stop?
454
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:26,680
By the 1970s,
455
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:28,960
hashima island had tripled
456
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,480
its natural size.
457
00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,000
Reclaiming land is actually
458
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:35,640
a massive engineering challenge
459
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,560
because you're working
with water which moves.
460
00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,320
The levels come up and down,
it can be quite acidic, quite salty,
461
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,440
it corrodes man-made
materials quite easily.
462
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,200
Even so, it still became one
of the most crowded places
463
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:53,240
on earth.
464
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,640
To a population density
on hashima got to the point
465
00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:01,720
where it was double what
civic engineers at that time
466
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,920
would have recommended
as being the maximum.
467
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,480
Nine-storey blocks accommodated
the rapidly expanding population.
468
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:13,896
Translation: "There
were no elevators at all
469
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,480
"in these high rise buildings.
470
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,240
"So people moved
about horizontally.
471
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,320
"There were lots of
passageways going across
472
00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,680
"so we didn't need
to go downstairs at all
473
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,560
"to get from one
building to another.
474
00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,440
"We could just walk across
using the passageways."
475
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,840
Productivity was high
despite punishing temperatures
476
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:42,360
close to 40 degrees
celsius and 95% humidity.
477
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,920
The working conditions
here were brutal.
478
00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:49,960
Translation: "It was a
really dangerous place.
479
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,240
"Stones often fell
from the ceiling.
480
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,040
"It was like doing hard
labour in a steam bath."
481
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:03,720
With coal deposits depleted,
482
00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:08,640
mining operations ceased in
1974 and the population left.
483
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,200
Nearly 40 years later,
484
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,720
hashima island became
a site of industrial heritage.
485
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,920
And the perfect setting for
James Bond to meet his match.
486
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,600
The final site lies
1,000 miles from Tokyo
487
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,960
on the Japanese
island of okinawa.
488
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:48,480
A steep hillside conceals
a strange blend of ruins.
489
00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:54,280
We're looking across the
water toward this rising ground,
490
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:58,040
a dominating Ridge with
some structures visible
491
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,840
that look as though
it's been reinforced,
492
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:02,080
fortified perhaps.
493
00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:08,440
Somebody has taken serious care
494
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,920
to turn these hills
into fortifications.
495
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:19,160
Descending into dense
vegetation beyond the warning signs
496
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:21,400
are entrances to another world.
497
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,240
Built into a mountain
you'd never even know
498
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:27,720
this complex was here,
499
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,840
it's pretty much
impossible to access
500
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,920
unless you were led inside.
501
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:35,280
I also see evidence of battle,
502
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,120
I see shell fragments
or bullet holes around.
503
00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,560
It's interesting that in
one of the chambers
504
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,760
you can still see
texts in Japanese
505
00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,600
that when it's translated
into English reads,
506
00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:50,640
"destroy america."
507
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,560
How did these underground
facilities contribute
508
00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,800
to some of the bloodiest and
most famous battles in history?
509
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,920
On this Ridge are the remains
of an important mediaeval castle,
510
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,120
a site of spiritual
significance.
511
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,200
But to Americans,
512
00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,120
this Ridge means
something else entirely,
513
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,640
this is related to one of
the most iconic stories
514
00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:17,880
in us history.
515
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,040
Aki miyazato has spent
the last decade investigating
516
00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:31,800
what happened on this island.
517
00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:39,080
So the writings in this wall
says, "destroy america."
518
00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:44,720
So this is the commander
rear admiral minoru ota's room
519
00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,800
and he sent a telegram,
520
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,120
sent out to mainland
Japan that...
521
00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:52,840
..Praising okinawans.
522
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:59,440
After that, on 13 June 1945
523
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,960
he committed
suicide in this room
524
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,600
with his close officers.
525
00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,520
What led to this moment is
an extraordinary tale of bravery
526
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:14,040
and self-sacrifice.
527
00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:18,600
It is a remarkable
and heroic story.
528
00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:21,280
You can see why it was
picked up by Hollywood,
529
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:23,600
it was made for
the silver screen.
530
00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:28,480
26 April 1945,
531
00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:33,920
the maeda escarpment also
known as hacksaw Ridge.
532
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:37,560
Men of the us army's
77th infantry division
533
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:38,960
were waiting anxiously
534
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,400
beneath the almost
vertical 120m cliff.
535
00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:47,480
Part of operation iceberg,
the largest amphibious assault
536
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,880
in the pacific theatre
of world war ii.
537
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,880
The Navy's fifth fleet and
more than 180,000 us army
538
00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,080
and us marine corp troops
descended on this island
539
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,480
for one final push.
540
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,960
Planners assumed that
they would be resisted
541
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,560
every step of the way.
542
00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:12,160
This was going to be
Omaha beach all over again.
543
00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,920
At first, they encountered
an eerie quiet...
544
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,720
..But the silence
was soon shattered.
545
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:29,880
They use naval gunfire support
to absolutely muller the place.
546
00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,400
They bash hacksaw Ridge so hard
547
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,240
that nothing is going to
be left alive on the surface.
548
00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,960
Us infantry men clawed
their way up ladders
549
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,240
to the smoke-filled Ridge above,
550
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,040
but the enemy was
nowhere to be seen.
551
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:50,520
But then, once
they get onto the cliff
552
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:54,240
the Japanese who are invisible
just pop up and start blazing away.
553
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,880
Caught off guard, the
troops were driven back
554
00:35:57,920 --> 00:35:59,240
by a hail of gunfire.
555
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:04,200
Among them was Desmond
doss, a seventh-day adventist
556
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:07,000
who refused to
hold or fire a rifle.
557
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,640
Instead of joining the retreat
back down to the beach,
558
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:14,080
doss continues to collect
wounded up on this, you know,
559
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,160
fire-ravaged Ridge top.
560
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,320
Not only does doss
rescue his own captain,
561
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:25,360
but he also rescues
75 of his comrades.
562
00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:28,360
Doss isn't going to fight,
563
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:33,480
but what doss is going to
do is save American lives
564
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:35,520
as long as he possibly can.
565
00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:41,520
Carrying them one by one to
the edge of the escarpment,
566
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,200
he lowered them by
rope down the cliff face.
567
00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,840
Yet doss individual bravery
568
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,040
couldn't mask his
battalion's colossal losses.
569
00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:55,920
When the us landed they
met almost no resistance.
570
00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,480
But that was the plan,
to draw them in close
571
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,760
and then emerge from this
network of underground tunnels.
572
00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:07,680
This way they could engage
them in hand-to-hand combat.
573
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:11,160
They're retreating
into these fortifications,
574
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,440
forcing the Americans
to dig them out
575
00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:15,200
such as they had
to do at iwo jima
576
00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:16,920
and take tremendous casualties.
577
00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:20,240
So this, in turn, makes
the American approach
578
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:21,440
much more brutal.
579
00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:22,776
The Americans
are forced to kind of
580
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:24,320
pry them out of the rocks.
581
00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:31,000
They're using the inherent
strength of defensive warfare
582
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:32,320
to their advantage.
583
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,360
According to classic
military theory,
584
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:40,160
if you're going in against
a well-prepared enemy
585
00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:42,360
in entrenched positions,
586
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:45,480
you had better have
a six-to-one advantage
587
00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,720
otherwise, it's not
going to happen.
588
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,320
The Japanese were so outnumbered
589
00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:54,760
that every able-bodied
okinawan was drafted in.
590
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,120
Schoolboys were used
as front line soldiers,
591
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,240
and schoolgirls as nurses in
makeshift underground hospitals.
592
00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:07,600
Scorched timber from
American flame throwers
593
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,880
is testament to the horrors
these children were exposed to.
594
00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,720
Once the Japanese positions
beneath hacksaw Ridge were destroyed,
595
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,760
us forces moved south
596
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,880
towards the strategically
vital airfield at naha.
597
00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:27,400
Here they were confronted with
another underground fortress,
598
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:29,960
built into the hill
overlooking the airport.
599
00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,320
This place was meant
to house a naval staff
600
00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:39,080
and a really serious
communications capability.
601
00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:43,080
So this is the signal room,
602
00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:45,480
where there are
several signal operators
603
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,560
sending a message
to mainland Japan
604
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:54,640
as well as military Navy
receiving and sending,
605
00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,160
but decoding is done
by a different room
606
00:38:58,200 --> 00:38:59,520
and different operators.
607
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,160
This is the former
underground naval headquarters,
608
00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,000
nearly 500m of
cavernous tunnels.
609
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,720
You had to have room for
the admiral, the flagstaff,
610
00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,160
broader staff, signallers
611
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:22,240
and thousands of Japanese
soldiers to defend the place.
612
00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:26,120
It was built to be hard to crack
613
00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:30,800
and it was built to last against
a heavy American assault.
614
00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:35,480
And it was about
to be put to the test.
615
00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:40,000
The 6th marine division
having captured naha airport
616
00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,040
encircled this bunker network.
617
00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,200
The Navy couldn't
fight back too much
618
00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:51,720
and then only way they
could do is with the Spears,
619
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:56,720
they went outside and
ended up getting hit.
620
00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,440
They couldn't fight back
anymore, they had to stay inside.
621
00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:06,560
Yet the evidence suggests these
tunnels may have seen combat.
622
00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:12,160
In these dark underground
caverns, you can't help but notice
623
00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,040
that some of the walls
are covered in pot marks
624
00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:16,720
and what look like bullet holes.
625
00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,320
So did American forces manage
626
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,600
to penetrate this
formidable facility?
627
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:25,400
Admiral ota saying that
628
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:30,160
"if this is the end of our operation
and we are committing suicide,
629
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,080
"but you are free to go."
630
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,200
It's hard to believe, you know,
631
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:39,280
a commander would
not force a lower soldiers
632
00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,800
to commit suicide, so
it's a very, very rare.
633
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,680
Once he had sent
his final message,
634
00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:51,560
admiral ota took out
his personal weapon
635
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,440
and he shot himself
in front of his staff.
636
00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,560
And from the holes in the wall
637
00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,400
we can see that
all of his staff,
638
00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:07,120
two a man, shot
themselves afterwards.
639
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:12,760
Japanese culture said it
is better to die a suicide
640
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:14,080
than to surrender,
641
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:19,000
and ota and his
staff died heroes
642
00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:20,720
in the Japanese culture.
643
00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:26,320
Short of guns, some officers
had to improvise with grenades,
644
00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:29,760
others were found
with their throats cut.
645
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,600
Many of the regular
soldiers chose to stay
646
00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:37,320
and prepare to
fight to the bitter end.
647
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:41,280
Instead of fighting for
control of these tunnels,
648
00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,160
Americans just detonate
all the tunnel entrances,
649
00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,160
close them up with rubble.
650
00:41:48,720 --> 00:41:50,720
And they waited a good long time
651
00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,080
to make sure that there
would be no resistance
652
00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:55,280
when they went down there.
653
00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:58,200
When American forces
did go into those tunnels,
654
00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:02,600
they found thousands of bodies
of Japanese naval personnel.
655
00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:06,560
The battle of okinawa
was one of the bloodiest
656
00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:08,200
of world war ii,
657
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:13,640
200,000 Japanese were killed,
many of them civilians and children,
658
00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:17,160
12,500 on the American side.
659
00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:21,200
In 1970, the former
naval headquarters
660
00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:22,880
were converted into a museum
661
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:27,040
and in 2006, Desmond
doss' story was immortalised
662
00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:30,160
by the Hollywood
film 'hacksaw Ridge'.
663
00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:32,360
And that film brought
it to the forefront
664
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:33,480
of popular culture.
665
00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:36,680
'Hacksaw Ridge' is a film
666
00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:40,280
which is as anti-war
667
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,680
as any war film gets,
668
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:50,360
and it implants itself into
the American consciousness
669
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:52,040
at the same time
670
00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:56,000
that Iraq and Afghanistan
are going badly wrong.
671
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,520
Having been shot
672
00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:05,320
and taking 17 pieces of
shrapnel at hacksaw Ridge,
673
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:08,600
Desmond doss was rewarded
with a medal of honour
674
00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:10,040
for his selfless act there.
675
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:23,960
'Hacksaw Ridge' is
actually a good story, isn't it?
676
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,360
The soldier helped others
677
00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:31,560
and we believe that both, you know,
Americans and Japanese, okinawans
678
00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:33,200
share the history together.
679
00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:37,200
And then what we
do is pray for hope
680
00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:39,640
for the eternal peace.
681
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,680
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