1 00:00:02,066 --> 00:00:05,467 [narrator] A strange structure at the heart of a Miami suburb 2 00:00:05,467 --> 00:00:08,900 that began as a dream and turned into a nightmare. 3 00:00:10,166 --> 00:00:13,500 They call us one of the top murder capitals of South Florida 4 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:16,834 but we are waking this city back up. 5 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:22,300 [narrator] A Lebanese high-rise of glitz and glamor, 6 00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:26,066 consumed by hate and fear. 7 00:00:26,066 --> 00:00:29,367 [translator] The battle became so ruthless that you could kill your brother, 8 00:00:29,367 --> 00:00:34,133 cousin or your friend 'cause you couldn't tell who was who. 9 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:39,266 [narrator] And a Japanese curiosity 10 00:00:39,266 --> 00:00:42,400 caught in a web of corruption. 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,367 [man] He was a very high-flying businessman. 12 00:00:46,367 --> 00:00:47,600 with a lot of big plans 13 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:53,000 and a tendency to cut corners, ethically, in his businesses. 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,300 [narrator] Decaying relics... 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,400 Ruins of lost worlds... 16 00:01:05,867 --> 00:01:09,333 Sites haunted by the past. 17 00:01:10,467 --> 00:01:15,200 Their secrets waiting to be revealed. 18 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,700 In Miami-Dade County, Florida, 19 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,667 are relics of a storybook fantasy 20 00:01:29,667 --> 00:01:31,634 brought to life. 21 00:01:34,567 --> 00:01:37,667 [Luke] This looks like a typical Miami suburb. 22 00:01:37,667 --> 00:01:43,100 But then you notice that the streets have some pretty unexpected names. 23 00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:48,600 You have Baghdad Avenue, Sharazad Boulevard and Sindbad Avenue. 24 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:50,467 [narrator] In the middle of the town 25 00:01:50,467 --> 00:01:53,100 is what looks like a crumbling palace. 26 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:55,100 Which, much like the street names, 27 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:58,767 appears wildly out of place in Florida 28 00:01:58,767 --> 00:02:02,200 [Luke] It's got these pink domes, touring minarets, 29 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:03,867 castle-like battlements, 30 00:02:03,867 --> 00:02:04,934 and a wide courtyard. 31 00:02:04,934 --> 00:02:08,800 It seems to be a mix of various Eastern influences. 32 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,567 There's something a bit fantastical about it all. 33 00:02:12,567 --> 00:02:16,100 [Hadley] Exteriors don't really match the interiors. 34 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:18,467 Their offices, their spaces that would be used 35 00:02:18,467 --> 00:02:20,467 for everyday activities. 36 00:02:20,467 --> 00:02:23,367 They're not elaborate like the outside of the building. 37 00:02:23,367 --> 00:02:28,567 [narrator] The construction is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. 38 00:02:28,567 --> 00:02:32,000 These structures aren't as big or impressive 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,266 but their coordinated style 40 00:02:34,266 --> 00:02:38,800 suggests there was once a wider vision for this place. 41 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,800 [Hadley] For a time, this was a fantasy you could buy into 42 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,533 but the dream would be very tragically short-lived. 43 00:02:49,567 --> 00:02:53,000 [Alex] I was living not far from here, in a neighboring community. 44 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,800 And was interested in what homeownership would look like. 45 00:02:58,367 --> 00:03:00,700 [narrator] Alex Van Mecl began digging into 46 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:02,800 the extraordinary history of this region 47 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,266 when he bought his first home here 48 00:03:05,266 --> 00:03:07,600 in September 2021. 49 00:03:08,367 --> 00:03:10,700 [Alex] It was very exciting 50 00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:14,066 and was the beginning of a very long journey 51 00:03:14,066 --> 00:03:16,000 to uncover a lot about the city 52 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,133 that has, in some instances, never been seen or told before. 53 00:03:21,066 --> 00:03:22,600 [narrator] This curious structure 54 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,767 was to be the beating heart of a grand vision. 55 00:03:25,767 --> 00:03:28,967 To transform this once unpopulated area 56 00:03:28,967 --> 00:03:31,767 into a thriving city. 57 00:03:31,767 --> 00:03:33,367 The driving force behind it 58 00:03:33,367 --> 00:03:37,233 was American Renaissance man, Glenn H. Curtiss. 59 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:42,667 [Luke] Curtiss was a pioneer of American aviation. 60 00:03:42,667 --> 00:03:45,000 And one of the nation's wealthiest men. 61 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,900 He had helped develop the first aircraft career 62 00:03:47,900 --> 00:03:49,266 for the US Navy, 63 00:03:49,266 --> 00:03:51,100 and built the first sea plane. 64 00:03:53,367 --> 00:03:56,166 [narrator] While Curtiss was vacationing in Florida, 65 00:03:56,166 --> 00:04:00,400 he recognized the money-making potential of this area. 66 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,567 In the years after the first world war, 67 00:04:03,567 --> 00:04:05,867 Florida experienced a land moon. 68 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:09,266 The number of skilled workers in the country was rising 69 00:04:09,266 --> 00:04:13,700 and they were benefitting from higher wages and paid vacations. 70 00:04:15,266 --> 00:04:18,000 Suddenly people had the resources 71 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,700 to travel and to buy vacation homes. 72 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,300 [Hadley] Everybody had cars, everyone had a Modet T. 73 00:04:24,300 --> 00:04:25,767 They wanted to be in the sun. 74 00:04:25,767 --> 00:04:28,934 And there was no better place to go than Florida. 75 00:04:29,867 --> 00:04:33,767 Curtiss and his partners bought 17,000 acres of land. 76 00:04:33,767 --> 00:04:35,967 And Curtiss entered a new business. 77 00:04:35,967 --> 00:04:38,967 Real Estate development. 78 00:04:38,967 --> 00:04:42,367 [Hadley] Fortunately, there was this new craze that was sweeping the nation, 79 00:04:42,367 --> 00:04:46,333 and it would inspire his next project, Opa-Locka. 80 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,667 [narrator] Opa-Locka was to be something entirely unique. 81 00:04:51,667 --> 00:04:54,600 Never before attempted in the United States. 82 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,367 It was a big gamble, 83 00:04:56,367 --> 00:05:00,066 based on architecture and literature from the Islamic World. 84 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,367 [Sascha] In 1925, the architect Bernhardt Muller. 85 00:05:04,367 --> 00:05:06,967 read the collection of middle eastern folk tales 86 00:05:06,967 --> 00:05:09,867 known as the 1001 Nights. 87 00:05:09,867 --> 00:05:14,767 He was so inspired that he relived it in his dreams that night. 88 00:05:14,767 --> 00:05:17,567 He soon came up with a vision 89 00:05:17,567 --> 00:05:22,667 of a city built around the theme and design of the stories. 90 00:05:22,667 --> 00:05:25,467 [narrator] And in Curtiss, Muller had a partner 91 00:05:25,467 --> 00:05:28,467 with the resources to make it happen. 92 00:05:28,467 --> 00:05:32,667 And advertisement that was placed in The Miami Herald in 1926, 93 00:05:32,667 --> 00:05:36,900 began with the words "one thousand and one reasons". 94 00:05:37,900 --> 00:05:41,000 It encouraged investors to get in on the ground floor 95 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,433 of a never to be repeated opportunity. 96 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:47,100 [narrator] This administration building 97 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:51,500 was intended to be an icon of the city's success. 98 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:54,000 The construction of this building began 99 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,700 in early 1926. 100 00:05:55,700 --> 00:05:59,166 It took approximately seven months to construct. 101 00:05:59,166 --> 00:06:03,800 At that time, they estimated cost $150,000. 102 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,266 It's primary focus was to sell the idea and dream 103 00:06:07,266 --> 00:06:10,467 of what it was to become an Opa-Lockan 104 00:06:10,467 --> 00:06:13,767 [Hadley] This was to be a completely self-sufficient community. 105 00:06:13,767 --> 00:06:18,367 with its own airport, golf course, pool, 106 00:06:18,367 --> 00:06:21,000 parks, country club, zoo. 107 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,800 All the things that make life fun. 108 00:06:24,767 --> 00:06:28,600 Muller personally approved each and every design. 109 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,967 He specified all the paint colors and finishings to be used. 110 00:06:32,967 --> 00:06:36,133 And even suggested landscaping around the buildings. 111 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:38,500 [narrator] In less than a year, 112 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:41,400 over 30 homes were built and residents moved in, 113 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,300 while the rest of the city's construction 114 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:45,867 was still underway. 115 00:06:45,867 --> 00:06:49,500 Curtiss' ambitious risk appeared to be paying off. 116 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,767 But before the city can be completed, 117 00:06:52,767 --> 00:06:55,600 Mother Nature interfered. 118 00:06:56,767 --> 00:07:01,767 In 1926, a massive hurricane swept through the Miami area 119 00:07:01,767 --> 00:07:05,600 and although it didn't really affect Opa-Locka, 120 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,900 it affected Florida as a whole. 121 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:10,600 And sent it into this economic tailspin. 122 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:14,700 Florida's reputation as Heaven on Earth, 123 00:07:14,700 --> 00:07:17,133 was shattered in the wake of the destruction 124 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:22,166 [Sascha] Suddenly, both, investors and new residents 125 00:07:22,166 --> 00:07:24,734 became harder and harder to find. 126 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:27,400 [narrator] But railroads had helped 127 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,166 other planned communities in Florida prosper. 128 00:07:30,166 --> 00:07:31,767 And Curtiss was certain 129 00:07:31,767 --> 00:07:34,867 a new train line coming in 1927, 130 00:07:34,867 --> 00:07:37,600 would keep his vision alive. 131 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,567 He also had one last trick up his sleeve. 132 00:07:41,567 --> 00:07:43,367 He was an astute marketer. 133 00:07:43,367 --> 00:07:45,367 And when the first train arrived, 134 00:07:45,367 --> 00:07:47,467 through Opa-Locka, on the new line, 135 00:07:47,467 --> 00:07:49,900 he decided he was gonna put on a show. 136 00:07:54,667 --> 00:07:56,500 [narrator] In the late 1920s, 137 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:59,900 the visionary planned community of Opa-Locka, 138 00:07:59,900 --> 00:08:03,100 was failing to attract new residents. 139 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:05,800 It's founder, Glenn H. Curtiss, 140 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,867 aw the arrival of the new Sea Board railroad 141 00:08:08,867 --> 00:08:10,667 as a vital opportunity 142 00:08:10,667 --> 00:08:13,233 to generate some crucial publicity. 143 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,600 Onboard was the governor of the state, 144 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,767 the president of the railway 145 00:08:18,767 --> 00:08:21,367 and a host of other dignitaries. 146 00:08:21,367 --> 00:08:24,867 They were greeted by something straight out of the movies. 147 00:08:24,867 --> 00:08:26,400 A representative of the company, 148 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,467 dressed as the Grand Vizier of the empire of Opa-Locka, 149 00:08:30,467 --> 00:08:33,767 charged on horseback out of the administration building. 150 00:08:33,767 --> 00:08:37,567 He was flanked by others dressed as Arabian horsemen, 151 00:08:37,567 --> 00:08:41,567 who were racing out to meet the iron horse. 152 00:08:41,567 --> 00:08:44,000 Homeowners from all across the city 153 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,400 joined in the celebrations. 154 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,600 Nobody wanted to see Opa-Locka crash and burn. 155 00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:52,667 [Hadley] Most of the town had costumes 156 00:08:52,667 --> 00:08:55,166 that had been rented from New York theaters. 157 00:08:55,166 --> 00:08:59,567 And the whole community put on a show for visitors. 158 00:08:59,567 --> 00:09:01,266 [Luke] The event was a big success. 159 00:09:01,266 --> 00:09:04,100 And the newspapers gave it plenty of coverage. 160 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:08,800 All of which provided great advertising for the city. 161 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,000 [Sascha] These days, that type of naked cultural appropriation 162 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,400 would definitely be frowned upon. 163 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,467 Though there are certainly outrageous stunts 164 00:09:16,467 --> 00:09:18,900 pulled by real estate developers on a daily basis. 165 00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:22,367 [narrator] The so-called Arabian fantasy 166 00:09:22,367 --> 00:09:24,800 may have captured people's attention, 167 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,000 but it failed to get them to open their wallets. 168 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,467 The future of Curtiss' $1.5 million investment 169 00:09:32,467 --> 00:09:34,667 was uncertain. 170 00:09:34,667 --> 00:09:35,900 Less than two years later, 171 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:40,600 the aspiring city was dealt another devastating blow. 172 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,166 [Sascha] In the wake of the Wall Street crash, 173 00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:45,867 things weren't really looking good for Opa-Locka. 174 00:09:45,867 --> 00:09:50,500 [narrator] Curtis pulled out all the stops to try and salvage his dream. 175 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:53,467 And save his city's struggling residents. 176 00:09:53,467 --> 00:09:56,300 [Alex] He helped pay for people's landscaping. 177 00:09:56,300 --> 00:09:58,266 He started paying people's mortgages. 178 00:09:58,266 --> 00:10:00,166 I think he had every reason to believe 179 00:10:00,166 --> 00:10:02,567 that Opa-Locka still could become 180 00:10:02,567 --> 00:10:05,867 as great, as thriving as a Coral Gables, 181 00:10:05,867 --> 00:10:07,266 or Miami Beach, 182 00:10:07,266 --> 00:10:09,133 or even Palm Beach, at that time. 183 00:10:10,300 --> 00:10:11,600 [narrator] Curtiss was convinced 184 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,100 that development could continue expanding 185 00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:16,000 after the economy recovered. 186 00:10:16,567 --> 00:10:18,133 Fate disagreed. 187 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,500 On July 23rd, 1930, 188 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:24,734 the aviation pioneer died suddenly. 189 00:10:25,667 --> 00:10:27,166 It's my school of thought 190 00:10:27,166 --> 00:10:31,367 that Curtiss would very much have stuck his vision through. 191 00:10:31,367 --> 00:10:34,066 And it still would have been the fully-built environment 192 00:10:34,066 --> 00:10:35,700 that he dreamed of it becoming, 193 00:10:35,700 --> 00:10:37,567 had he not passed away. 194 00:10:37,567 --> 00:10:39,367 [narrator] In the years that followed, 195 00:10:39,367 --> 00:10:42,767 he suburb declined beyond all recognition. 196 00:10:42,767 --> 00:10:44,867 And its crime rate soared. 197 00:10:44,867 --> 00:10:46,700 By 2009, 198 00:10:46,700 --> 00:10:49,667 the one-time centerpiece of Opa-Locka, 199 00:10:49,667 --> 00:10:52,400 had been left to fall into ruin. 200 00:10:58,266 --> 00:11:00,166 John H. Taylor Jr. 201 00:11:00,166 --> 00:11:04,166 was elected mayor of Opa-Locka in 2022. 202 00:11:04,166 --> 00:11:06,767 The city he grew up in was very different 203 00:11:06,767 --> 00:11:09,800 from the one originally envisioned. 204 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,700 [John] I'm 34 years old and Opa-Locka is all that I know. 205 00:11:13,700 --> 00:11:17,967 During the early '70s, '80s, '90s, early 2000s, 206 00:11:17,967 --> 00:11:21,967 they called us one of the top murder capitals of South Florida. 207 00:11:21,967 --> 00:11:25,066 It's not the same Opa-Locka that you see today. 208 00:11:25,066 --> 00:11:27,200 Our crime is down 30%. 209 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,200 I wanted a community where my daughter 210 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,767 and my family can grow, live, play 211 00:11:31,767 --> 00:11:33,233 and be safe here. 212 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,467 [narrator] Today, Taylor hopes to finish 213 00:11:36,467 --> 00:11:39,066 what Glenn H. Curtiss started. 214 00:11:39,066 --> 00:11:41,166 [John] We want it to be a cultural art center. 215 00:11:41,166 --> 00:11:43,166 We want, um, birthday parties here. 216 00:11:43,166 --> 00:11:45,567 We want you to make memories here. 217 00:11:45,567 --> 00:11:49,000 And by 2026, you won't be able to recognize Opa-Locka. 218 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,433 We are waking this city back up. 219 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,500 [narrator] The Lebanese capital of Beirut. 220 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:03,400 Modern buildings conceal the reminders 221 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,300 of a city divided. 222 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:13,667 [Jim] You have all these gleaming high-rises 223 00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:16,233 and fancy shops and restaurants. 224 00:12:16,667 --> 00:12:18,200 But in the middle of all this, 225 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,700 is one tall building 226 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:22,900 that is an absolute wreck. 227 00:12:23,867 --> 00:12:26,800 [Geoffrey] This does not look like normal wear and tear. 228 00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:29,667 And you go inside, 229 00:12:29,667 --> 00:12:32,100 there's no clues as to what it was, 230 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:33,634 Everything's been stripped out. 231 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:38,667 [narrator] In the beginning, this was a beacon of progress, 232 00:12:38,667 --> 00:12:42,367 and the height of extravagance in a modern city. 233 00:12:42,367 --> 00:12:45,834 It became a ferocious symbol of struggle. 234 00:12:46,467 --> 00:12:48,567 So how did it fall from that place 235 00:12:48,567 --> 00:12:52,266 to this destroyed shell of its former self. 236 00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:56,767 [narrator] Haunting clues are revealed etched into the crumbling walls. 237 00:12:56,767 --> 00:13:00,467 It's almost like you can see some kind of clash of civilizations 238 00:13:00,467 --> 00:13:02,367 playing out in the graffiti. 239 00:13:02,367 --> 00:13:04,066 There's-- Some is in Arabic, 240 00:13:04,066 --> 00:13:08,567 but then you also see Christian crosses. 241 00:13:08,567 --> 00:13:11,166 [Lynette] This is a building that had gone from 242 00:13:11,166 --> 00:13:15,467 a beautiful Middle Eastern destination 243 00:13:15,467 --> 00:13:20,734 into the very epitome of Hell on Earth. 244 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,300 [narrator] Marwan Ayoubi 245 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:29,867 first came here in 1976, 246 00:13:29,867 --> 00:13:32,600 when he was 17 years old. 247 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,867 When it was built, two years earlier, 248 00:13:34,867 --> 00:13:36,800 it was the talk of the town. 249 00:13:38,867 --> 00:13:41,600 [translator] It was the most luxurious hotel in Beirut. 250 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,567 Not just in the city but the entire country. 251 00:13:45,567 --> 00:13:48,667 [narrator] But Marwan didn't check in as a guest. 252 00:13:48,667 --> 00:13:51,400 He was here for a different purpose. 253 00:13:51,867 --> 00:13:52,967 [Marwan speaks Lebanese] 254 00:13:52,967 --> 00:13:54,600 [translator] Despite my young age, 255 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,800 I was responsible for military command. 256 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,000 From the first time I entered with the guys, 257 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,100 I felt something different. 258 00:14:05,100 --> 00:14:07,834 Honestly, the hair on my neck stood up. 259 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,567 High-rises like this were new. 260 00:14:14,567 --> 00:14:18,066 Its importance was for its height, location, 261 00:14:18,066 --> 00:14:20,000 and very strong build. 262 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,000 [narrator] This is the Holiday Inn hotel. 263 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,867 Once, the pinnacle of sophistication, 264 00:14:28,867 --> 00:14:32,000 at the heart of a destination city. 265 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,500 Different from the one we see today. 266 00:14:36,467 --> 00:14:38,900 [Lynette] In the 1970s, 267 00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:44,800 Beirut is a Western-looking French speaking city. 268 00:14:45,767 --> 00:14:48,066 And people from around the world, 269 00:14:48,066 --> 00:14:51,600 are happy to fly to Beirut 270 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,100 to enjoy the Mediterranean climate. 271 00:14:54,700 --> 00:14:57,300 [Jim] It's a place of openness 272 00:14:57,300 --> 00:15:00,600 and a kind of pride in their ability, 273 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,000 which was not unusual in the Middle East at any time 274 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,467 to co-exist with so many different cultures. 275 00:15:07,467 --> 00:15:10,133 Christian, Jews, Muslims. 276 00:15:11,567 --> 00:15:14,900 [narrator] In this booming cosmopolitan metropolis, 277 00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:18,900 impressive new hotels sprung up in the downtown port district, 278 00:15:18,900 --> 00:15:23,100 including this one in 1974. 279 00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:26,367 [Geoffrey] The Holiday Inn was a very ambitious hotel chain. 280 00:15:26,367 --> 00:15:29,700 And they would open these, kind of, flagship hotels 281 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:31,800 in important cities around the world. 282 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:33,300 to advertise the brand. 283 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,467 [Lynette] It's the tallest hotel in the city. 284 00:15:37,467 --> 00:15:41,867 It has got a revolving restaurant 285 00:15:41,867 --> 00:15:43,266 on the roof. 286 00:15:43,266 --> 00:15:48,266 Which is possibly the most 1970s thing ever. 287 00:15:48,266 --> 00:15:50,767 It opened at a time when the future for Beirut 288 00:15:50,767 --> 00:15:52,934 and Lebanon seemed very bright. 289 00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:58,000 [narrator] But below the surface, 290 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,233 tension was building 291 00:15:59,233 --> 00:16:03,066 between the country's Muslim and Christian populations. 292 00:16:03,066 --> 00:16:05,867 Soon, it would spill out onto the streets. 293 00:16:05,867 --> 00:16:10,800 And the Holiday Inn would find itself at the center of the storm. 294 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:15,700 So, while wealthy tourists and other visitors were partying, 295 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:18,934 the politics in Lebanon were changing radically. 296 00:16:23,266 --> 00:16:24,533 [narrator] In Lebanon, 297 00:16:24,533 --> 00:16:28,266 are the remains of the once-luxurious Holiday Inn hotel, 298 00:16:28,266 --> 00:16:32,367 which opened for business in 1974. 299 00:16:32,367 --> 00:16:34,667 But beyond the glitz and glamor, 300 00:16:34,667 --> 00:16:36,900 a vicious conflict was brewing, 301 00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:39,967 that would change Beirut forever. 302 00:16:39,967 --> 00:16:42,066 Like many of the countries in the Middle East, 303 00:16:42,066 --> 00:16:46,266 the borders of Lebanon were more or less imposed on it, 304 00:16:46,266 --> 00:16:48,600 by European powers. 305 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,967 The French established the current borders after World War I. 306 00:16:52,967 --> 00:16:56,200 [Geoffrey] When Lebanon was given its independence in 1943, 307 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,900 power was distributed among the various religious groups. 308 00:16:59,900 --> 00:17:01,900 You know, the-- The Maronite Christians, 309 00:17:01,900 --> 00:17:05,066 the Muslims and the Jews. 310 00:17:05,066 --> 00:17:07,266 It makes no one happy. 311 00:17:07,266 --> 00:17:10,667 It's just a matter of how long it's gonna take 312 00:17:10,667 --> 00:17:13,100 for Lebanon to fall apart. 313 00:17:13,100 --> 00:17:16,767 [narrator] After the founding of Israel in 1948. 314 00:17:16,767 --> 00:17:20,133 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes. 315 00:17:20,667 --> 00:17:22,266 In the years that followed, 316 00:17:22,266 --> 00:17:24,800 the refugee crisis only intensified. 317 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,200 And by 1968, 318 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,567 400,000 people had sought shelter in Lebanon. 319 00:17:31,567 --> 00:17:35,266 But they introduced a new radicalism into Lebanese politics. 320 00:17:35,266 --> 00:17:38,667 And you started seeing the emergence of sectarian militia 321 00:17:38,667 --> 00:17:40,300 to defend Maronite interests 322 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:42,567 or Shia interest or Sunni interest 323 00:17:42,567 --> 00:17:44,033 or Jews' interests. 324 00:17:45,567 --> 00:17:48,166 All of these different religious and cultural groups 325 00:17:48,166 --> 00:17:50,000 that had coexisted peacefully... 326 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,700 suddenly they were at each other's throats. 327 00:17:54,767 --> 00:17:57,500 [Lynette] A year after the Holiday Inn opens, 328 00:17:57,500 --> 00:17:59,700 the civil war kicks off. 329 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:03,567 [narrator] The city's hotel district 330 00:18:03,567 --> 00:18:06,533 quickly became the epicenter of the violence. 331 00:18:07,166 --> 00:18:09,166 Beirut's kind of bifurcated 332 00:18:09,166 --> 00:18:12,166 into a Christian East Beirut 333 00:18:12,166 --> 00:18:14,166 and a Muslim West Beirut. 334 00:18:14,166 --> 00:18:16,367 separated by something called the Green Line. 335 00:18:16,367 --> 00:18:20,367 And the Holiday Inn and the other, you know, fancy hotels in Beirut 336 00:18:20,367 --> 00:18:24,400 just happened to be situated along what is now the Green Line. 337 00:18:25,266 --> 00:18:27,200 [Jim] In any military encounter 338 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,767 you wanna control the high ground. 339 00:18:29,767 --> 00:18:31,400 This is how the Union Army 340 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,567 won the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War. 341 00:18:34,567 --> 00:18:38,667 And in Beirut, these tall hotels, 342 00:18:38,667 --> 00:18:40,233 they were the high ground. 343 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:44,467 [narrator] The Holiday Inn was the tallest of them all, 344 00:18:44,467 --> 00:18:48,500 in what would become known as the Battle of the Hotels. 345 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,166 [Geoffrey] And in the early years of the Civil War, 346 00:18:52,166 --> 00:18:53,333 the phalange militia, 347 00:18:53,333 --> 00:18:56,200 the Maronite Christians, they controlled the Holiday Inn, 348 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,266 while the neighboring Phoenicia hotel and other structures 349 00:18:59,266 --> 00:19:02,867 are controlled by the Lebanese National Movement militia. 350 00:19:02,867 --> 00:19:05,266 [narrator] In March of 1976, 351 00:19:05,266 --> 00:19:07,700 a coalition of Muslim forces 352 00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:12,000 launched an attack against the heavily guarded Holiday Inn. 353 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,600 Marwan Ayoubi led a small unit into the high-stakes fight. 354 00:19:17,667 --> 00:19:18,734 [speaking Lebanese] 355 00:19:18,734 --> 00:19:21,000 [translator] The battles were from room to room. 356 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,200 You go up the stairs, but you don't know what's in front of you. 357 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,200 So you just shoot while you go up. 358 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,400 Like you're shooting for no reason. 359 00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:32,667 [Geoffrey] Muslim militias, they penetrate the hotel, 360 00:19:32,667 --> 00:19:35,100 They get control of the lobby and the lower floors, 361 00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:37,634 and they start to celebrate, "We've taken the hotel." 362 00:19:39,266 --> 00:19:40,767 [Jim] It seemed like a victory. 363 00:19:40,767 --> 00:19:42,500 What they didn't fully appreciate 364 00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:43,867 was that there were still 365 00:19:43,867 --> 00:19:47,600 dozens of Christian militia fighters 366 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,600 on the floors above them. 367 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,533 The result was total chaos. 368 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,867 -[Marwan speaks Lebanese] -[translator] In the counterattack, 369 00:19:55,867 --> 00:19:58,200 the battle became so ruthless, 370 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,867 you could kill your brother, your cousin or your friend 371 00:20:00,867 --> 00:20:03,400 because you didn't know who was who. 372 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,233 It was too dark. 373 00:20:09,967 --> 00:20:12,000 [narrator] For three days and three nights, 374 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,066 bitter fighting rages across the 26 floors of the Holiday Inn. 375 00:20:16,066 --> 00:20:18,300 Over 40 men were killed, 376 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:20,900 and 100 severely injured, 377 00:20:20,900 --> 00:20:24,367 before the Muslim militia emerged victorious. 378 00:20:24,367 --> 00:20:28,600 All the world sees the violence in Beirut 379 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,667 heir television screens, 380 00:20:30,667 --> 00:20:31,900 every night. 381 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:36,166 Everyone sees once-great hotels 382 00:20:36,166 --> 00:20:40,900 dissolve into a welter of explosions. 383 00:20:42,767 --> 00:20:45,500 [narrator] The conflict continued to ravage the country 384 00:20:45,500 --> 00:20:48,100 for the next 14 years. 385 00:20:48,100 --> 00:20:53,400 During that time, warring factions periodically occupied the hotel. 386 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,700 Any trace of its former grandeur 387 00:20:55,700 --> 00:20:59,100 was obliterated by the struggle. 388 00:20:59,100 --> 00:21:01,266 [Geoffrey] And the civil war really isn't resolved 389 00:21:01,266 --> 00:21:04,667 until the Taif Accord in 1989. 390 00:21:04,667 --> 00:21:06,567 When, you know, the various groups are 391 00:21:06,567 --> 00:21:08,867 all coaxed into this peace arrangement. 392 00:21:08,867 --> 00:21:12,600 Basically, giving certain portfolios of government 393 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,200 to the different groups. 394 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:16,867 [narrator] Those who fought in the war, 395 00:21:16,867 --> 00:21:20,000 had to reconcile the many years spent 396 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,133 fighting against their fellow countrymen. 397 00:21:22,767 --> 00:21:24,667 [speaking Lebanese] 398 00:21:24,667 --> 00:21:28,800 [translator] As we grow older, our sense of humanity increases. 399 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,266 Because we have children, 400 00:21:30,266 --> 00:21:31,467 we have sons, 401 00:21:31,467 --> 00:21:33,834 and we understand what humanity is. 402 00:21:34,567 --> 00:21:37,100 We killed the country with civil war 403 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,200 because we differed in the way we love this country. 404 00:21:45,667 --> 00:21:46,634 [narrator] Over the years, 405 00:21:46,634 --> 00:21:49,467 the Port of Beirut has been revitalized, 406 00:21:49,467 --> 00:21:52,467 while the Holiday Inn has sat untouched, 407 00:21:52,467 --> 00:21:54,667 caught in a legal limbo. 408 00:21:54,667 --> 00:21:55,967 [Jim] The ownership is split 409 00:21:55,967 --> 00:22:01,500 between a group of Lebanese investors who want to refurbish it 410 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:04,000 and a Kuwaiti shareholder 411 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,100 who wants to tear it down and-and start over. 412 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:10,367 For now, it stands there as this 413 00:22:10,367 --> 00:22:12,567 somewhat horrifying symbol 414 00:22:12,567 --> 00:22:16,000 of just how far off the rails a modern society can go. 415 00:22:22,467 --> 00:22:25,200 [narrator] In the hills west of Niigata, Japan, 416 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,300 stands a place that defies rational explanation. 417 00:22:34,667 --> 00:22:37,166 [Rob] The first thing your eye's drawn to 418 00:22:37,166 --> 00:22:41,667 is this huge sea of solar panels. 419 00:22:41,667 --> 00:22:43,066 But, right on their edge, 420 00:22:43,066 --> 00:22:46,200 is a very unexpected structure. 421 00:22:47,166 --> 00:22:51,600 [Jim] You see an enormous Russian-style cathedral, 422 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:54,200 complete with the onion-type domes 423 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,500 and crosses on top of each one. 424 00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:01,000 What's it doing here in the middle of rural Japan? 425 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,100 [narrator] For two countries that were sworn enemies for many years, 426 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:07,467 something doesn't add up. 427 00:23:07,467 --> 00:23:10,300 Yet, whoever ordered its construction, 428 00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:13,300 clearly invested heavily. 429 00:23:13,300 --> 00:23:16,600 [Alexis] With the twisted remains of the stained glass windows 430 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:17,634 and the gold paint, 431 00:23:17,634 --> 00:23:21,500 you can still get a sense of its fated grandeur. 432 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:24,166 If you look straight up, 433 00:23:24,166 --> 00:23:27,233 who's staring back at you? Jesus. 434 00:23:28,667 --> 00:23:30,800 [narrator] But, a fire-damaged complex 435 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,033 next to the church 436 00:23:32,033 --> 00:23:36,400 suggests faith alone was not enough to save this place. 437 00:23:37,667 --> 00:23:41,767 It seems there was some kind of cross-cultural tribute 438 00:23:41,767 --> 00:23:43,266 intended here. 439 00:23:43,266 --> 00:23:45,266 But, one that obviously 440 00:23:45,266 --> 00:23:47,634 didn't work out that well in the end. 441 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:51,166 Unchecked ambition and corruption 442 00:23:51,166 --> 00:23:53,500 is what brought this dream to an end. 443 00:23:59,867 --> 00:24:02,700 [narrator] In the Niigata Prefecture of Japan, 444 00:24:02,700 --> 00:24:06,700 is a majestic structure driven by one man's vision. 445 00:24:08,567 --> 00:24:12,634 Sasaguchi Yuji is the caretaker of this site today. 446 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,900 When he came here in the 1990s, 447 00:24:15,900 --> 00:24:18,300 it was as a paying guest. 448 00:24:22,767 --> 00:24:26,500 [Sasaguchi] At first, I was curious to know what kind of place it was 449 00:24:26,500 --> 00:24:28,200 and I wanted to bring my kids. 450 00:24:31,367 --> 00:24:35,233 It was a merry-go-round and a few stands for sweets and food. 451 00:24:38,467 --> 00:24:40,900 The folk dancing was the main attraction. 452 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,000 [narrator] This is the Russian Village. 453 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,367 It began as evidence of friendship 454 00:24:49,367 --> 00:24:51,600 between two bitter rivals. 455 00:24:52,767 --> 00:24:56,100 [Jim] Traditionally, relations between Japan and Russia 456 00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:57,000 were not good. 457 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,266 But, towards the end of the 20th century, 458 00:24:59,266 --> 00:25:00,867 something happened that established 459 00:25:00,867 --> 00:25:03,166 a certain bond between the people. 460 00:25:03,166 --> 00:25:07,200 In 1964, a severe earthquake hit Niigata. 461 00:25:07,867 --> 00:25:09,567 The ground liquified. 462 00:25:09,567 --> 00:25:11,800 Collapsing bridges and buildings, 463 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,233 even buckling train tracks. 464 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,000 [narrator] In the wake of the destruction, 465 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,467 help came from the most unlikely of places. 466 00:25:21,467 --> 00:25:24,066 The earthquake killed about three dozen people, 467 00:25:24,066 --> 00:25:27,800 destroyed thousands of homes, it was a real crisis. 468 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:29,900 And then, a month later, 469 00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:32,667 in the port, a huge shipment 470 00:25:32,667 --> 00:25:36,967 of wood for construction, for rebuilding, arrived 471 00:25:36,967 --> 00:25:40,467 from two small cities in Russia 472 00:25:40,467 --> 00:25:43,100 that had heard about the disaster. 473 00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:45,500 It was a gesture that would allow 474 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:48,200 those who had lost their homes to rebuild. 475 00:25:49,667 --> 00:25:53,300 The people of Niigata never forgot that kindness. 476 00:25:54,700 --> 00:25:57,800 [narrator] Mr. Ryutaro Omori was one of those people. 477 00:25:58,767 --> 00:26:02,066 [Rob] Ryutaro Omori was a local businessman 478 00:26:02,066 --> 00:26:04,800 who rose through the ranks to become the president 479 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,600 of the Niigata Central Bank. 480 00:26:08,266 --> 00:26:10,967 [Jim] The Japanese economy was booming 481 00:26:10,967 --> 00:26:13,567 and the Japanese people had a lot of money 482 00:26:13,567 --> 00:26:16,667 and they wanted to spend it, they wanted to travel. 483 00:26:16,667 --> 00:26:21,567 It led to a boom in building theme parks around Japan. 484 00:26:21,567 --> 00:26:24,266 And Omori had an idea for, 485 00:26:24,266 --> 00:26:27,467 not just one theme park, but a whole chain of them. 486 00:26:27,467 --> 00:26:31,300 So, he started with his Russian Village. 487 00:26:32,867 --> 00:26:34,967 [Rob] With Niigata's connection to Russia 488 00:26:34,967 --> 00:26:37,166 and the landscape of pine trees 489 00:26:37,166 --> 00:26:38,567 and snowy mountains, 490 00:26:38,567 --> 00:26:41,567 it must've felt like the obvious place to build it. 491 00:26:41,567 --> 00:26:45,900 It had reportedly cost $150 million to develop. 492 00:26:48,700 --> 00:26:52,200 [narrator] On September 1st, 1993, 493 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,800 Russian Village opened to great fanfare. 494 00:26:57,467 --> 00:26:58,800 [Sasaguchi] In the parking lot, 495 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,266 there would be tens of hundreds of vehicles. 496 00:27:01,266 --> 00:27:03,300 And then, the visitors would get the shuttle bus 497 00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:04,900 to the entrance of the park, 498 00:27:04,900 --> 00:27:07,767 which would go in back and forth constantly. 499 00:27:07,767 --> 00:27:11,000 In one day, it could've been 1,000 or 2,000 people 500 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:12,600 visiting the theme park. 501 00:27:13,867 --> 00:27:16,567 [Jim] So, while people were at the Russian Village, 502 00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:18,567 they could eat at a Russian restaurant 503 00:27:18,567 --> 00:27:20,000 serving Russian food, 504 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,266 there was a little museum, 505 00:27:21,266 --> 00:27:25,000 there was even an aquarium that had a certain species of seal 506 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,533 that lives in the Siberian Arctic. 507 00:27:29,066 --> 00:27:32,567 [Alexis] There used to be areas filled with souvenir shops, 508 00:27:32,567 --> 00:27:35,367 uh, variety of fast food stands, 509 00:27:35,367 --> 00:27:39,133 places where they would demonstrate Russian folk crafts. 510 00:27:40,166 --> 00:27:41,467 [Rob] In later years, 511 00:27:41,467 --> 00:27:44,400 the park even opened up a bizarre exhibition 512 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,100 of fake, life-sized, taxidermied woolly mammoths. 513 00:27:51,266 --> 00:27:52,667 [narrator] The star attraction 514 00:27:52,667 --> 00:27:55,900 was the park's most faithful offering. 515 00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:59,000 The church was closely based on an actual Russian church 516 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,100 called the Cathedral of The Nativity. 517 00:28:01,100 --> 00:28:03,600 It's about 100 miles outside of Moscow. 518 00:28:04,367 --> 00:28:05,867 [Rob] They went to great lengths 519 00:28:05,867 --> 00:28:08,567 to make it as authentic as possible. 520 00:28:08,567 --> 00:28:10,667 Even hiring a Russian painter 521 00:28:10,667 --> 00:28:14,200 to create the murals decorating the ceilings and pillars. 522 00:28:15,266 --> 00:28:18,000 I mean, if you were looking for somewhere a bit different, 523 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,800 somewhere quite grand to get married, 524 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:21,800 where better than here? 525 00:28:23,567 --> 00:28:25,467 [Alexis] Fortunately, for the bride and groom, 526 00:28:25,467 --> 00:28:28,900 they had plenty of facilities next door for the reception. 527 00:28:31,300 --> 00:28:33,600 The [indistinct] hotel had 20 rooms, 528 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,667 including luxurious suites on the top floor, 529 00:28:36,667 --> 00:28:39,834 perhaps where the newlyweds spent their wedding night. 530 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:43,266 [Rob] Though little remains today, 531 00:28:43,266 --> 00:28:45,100 from the size of the spaces, 532 00:28:45,100 --> 00:28:47,767 you get a real sense of just how grand 533 00:28:47,767 --> 00:28:49,300 it would've been. 534 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:53,567 [narrator] But, in 1994, 535 00:28:53,567 --> 00:28:57,800 only months after Omori's bizarre venture first opened, 536 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,734 cracks began to show. 537 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:02,567 [Sasaguchi] In Niigata, 538 00:29:02,567 --> 00:29:05,567 it was the first time that this kind of attraction had been opened. 539 00:29:05,567 --> 00:29:08,200 So, at first, there was a lot of curiosity. 540 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:12,900 But once you had been here, 541 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:15,400 it wasn't as good as people hoped it would be. 542 00:29:17,967 --> 00:29:19,767 [Jim] So, once you'd looked at the church, 543 00:29:19,767 --> 00:29:22,233 had a Russian meal, seen a show, 544 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,233 you were ready to go home. 545 00:29:26,367 --> 00:29:27,600 [Alexis] With its poor attendants, 546 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,433 the numbers just weren't adding up for the Russian Village. 547 00:29:32,867 --> 00:29:37,133 [narrator] The park managed to keep going for the next seven years. 548 00:29:37,767 --> 00:29:39,767 But in 2001, 549 00:29:39,767 --> 00:29:42,467 damning allegations came to light 550 00:29:42,467 --> 00:29:44,133 revealing how... 551 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,100 [Rob] The visionary behind the park 552 00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:49,567 and the head of the bank that financed it, 553 00:29:49,567 --> 00:29:51,166 Ryutaro Omori, 554 00:29:51,166 --> 00:29:53,800 had criminal charges filed against him. 555 00:29:59,066 --> 00:30:01,066 [narrator] In Japan are the remains 556 00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:02,867 of a Russian-based theme park 557 00:30:02,867 --> 00:30:05,567 that opened in the 1990s. 558 00:30:05,567 --> 00:30:07,967 It operated for seven years, 559 00:30:07,967 --> 00:30:10,700 before the criminal dealings of its owner, 560 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:14,567 Ryutaro Omori, finally caught up with him. 561 00:30:14,567 --> 00:30:20,166 His bank reported a deficit of ¥168.7 billion. 562 00:30:20,166 --> 00:30:24,033 That's about $1.3 billion today. 563 00:30:25,767 --> 00:30:27,767 [Jim] Omori made a lot of loans 564 00:30:27,767 --> 00:30:29,700 that were somewhat dubious, 565 00:30:29,700 --> 00:30:32,066 and one of... the shakiest 566 00:30:32,066 --> 00:30:34,266 was to his own Russian village. 567 00:30:34,266 --> 00:30:37,700 Even when he knew that the finances were not that strong, 568 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:39,767 he pushed through another loan 569 00:30:39,767 --> 00:30:41,266 for the project. 570 00:30:41,266 --> 00:30:43,734 And that one really got him in trouble. 571 00:30:45,266 --> 00:30:48,800 [narrator] Omori was forced to resign as head of the bank. 572 00:30:49,467 --> 00:30:51,266 While he was awaiting trial, 573 00:30:51,266 --> 00:30:55,266 a group of Russian financers tried to help save the park. 574 00:30:55,266 --> 00:30:59,133 Their investment was too little, too late. 575 00:31:00,100 --> 00:31:02,266 [Rob] Whilst this park was shutting down, 576 00:31:02,266 --> 00:31:07,100 in 2003, Omori was sentenced to three years in prison. 577 00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:09,900 Just two years later, he died. 578 00:31:15,100 --> 00:31:16,667 [narrator] In 2004, 579 00:31:16,667 --> 00:31:19,367 a short-lived attempt to reopen the park 580 00:31:19,367 --> 00:31:21,667 ended in failure. 581 00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:23,967 Many of the buildings were then demolished 582 00:31:23,967 --> 00:31:26,634 and vandals destroyed what remained. 583 00:31:27,867 --> 00:31:30,400 [Jim] The future for this area seems to me... 584 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,000 in the solar energy being generated 585 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,800 in this massive solar farm 586 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:36,900 right next door to the Russian Village. 587 00:31:36,900 --> 00:31:41,300 The hopes that people might someday travel to this compound 588 00:31:41,300 --> 00:31:43,800 were really dashed many years ago. 589 00:31:51,467 --> 00:31:53,867 [narrator] On England's southern coast, 590 00:31:53,867 --> 00:31:56,567 anchored in the Blackwater Estuary 591 00:31:56,567 --> 00:31:59,800 is illicit piece of pop culture history. 592 00:32:03,700 --> 00:32:07,266 At first glance, this seems like a perfectly ordinary sight. 593 00:32:07,266 --> 00:32:10,767 A ship moored in a waterway that leads out to the sea. 594 00:32:10,767 --> 00:32:12,266 But, look again, 595 00:32:12,266 --> 00:32:15,333 there's something here that doesn't quite add up. 596 00:32:15,900 --> 00:32:18,000 It has this strange mast, 597 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,500 sort of sprouting out from its center. 598 00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:22,367 What can it be used for? 599 00:32:22,367 --> 00:32:26,467 [narrator] A look below deck fails to yield an obvious answer. 600 00:32:26,467 --> 00:32:31,667 Inside is everything you would expect to find on an average ship. 601 00:32:31,667 --> 00:32:34,567 Other elements come as a little bit of a surprise, 602 00:32:34,567 --> 00:32:36,600 they really seem out of place here. 603 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,400 [Onyeka] We find these strange machines, 604 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,000 scattered microphones, record players, 605 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,400 album covers. 606 00:32:44,767 --> 00:32:46,700 This is unmistakably 607 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:48,700 a broadcast studio. 608 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,467 [Rob] So, you have to ask yourself, 609 00:32:51,467 --> 00:32:55,000 why put all this equipment on a ship? 610 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,600 Who were they hiding it from? 611 00:32:57,667 --> 00:32:58,700 [narrator] Over the years, 612 00:32:58,700 --> 00:33:01,867 vessels like this were crewed by buccaneers, 613 00:33:01,867 --> 00:33:04,266 hellbent on liberating the masses. 614 00:33:04,266 --> 00:33:08,100 Not from their money, but from musical monotony. 615 00:33:08,100 --> 00:33:10,100 [Onyeka] There was a kind of joyful anarchy 616 00:33:10,100 --> 00:33:12,300 that took place on this ship. 617 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:16,300 And the authorities decided to put this to an end. 618 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,166 [Nigel] I came out here in 1994 619 00:33:26,166 --> 00:33:28,000 when I was in my twenties. 620 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,000 The ship glistened in the sunlight 621 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,834 and I was very excited uh, to step onboard. 622 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:36,200 [narrator] Nigel Harris lived and worked 623 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,166 on this former North Atlantic fishing trawler for five years. 624 00:33:40,166 --> 00:33:42,700 But Nigel was no fisherman. 625 00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:45,800 He operated on the wrong side of the law. 626 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,667 The authorities were keeping an eye on us all the time 627 00:33:50,667 --> 00:33:53,567 and getting boats to bring out these lads 628 00:33:53,567 --> 00:33:54,734 became more and more difficult. 629 00:33:54,734 --> 00:33:57,500 But when it worked, I must say, it did work well. 630 00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:01,767 [narrator] This is the Ross Revenge. 631 00:34:01,767 --> 00:34:03,367 In the 1980s, 632 00:34:03,367 --> 00:34:05,667 it was the latest in a long line 633 00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,800 of ship-based off-shore pirate radio stations. 634 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,667 The concept began as a cunning antidote 635 00:34:13,667 --> 00:34:16,667 to the British establishment's uptight attitude 636 00:34:16,667 --> 00:34:19,300 to 1960s popular music. 637 00:34:20,667 --> 00:34:23,000 So, we like to think of the 1960s 638 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,667 as a great moment of change in music. 639 00:34:25,667 --> 00:34:28,867 And we talk about the British revolution, 640 00:34:28,867 --> 00:34:31,000 uh, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones 641 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,000 and of course, in the Americas we have Motown music. 642 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,000 At that time, the BBC, 643 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,066 the British Broadcasting Corporation 644 00:34:39,066 --> 00:34:41,100 were the only ones with a license 645 00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:43,800 to broadcast on the radio. 646 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,467 [narrator] But, the rock and roll revolution sweeping the United States 647 00:34:47,467 --> 00:34:50,133 had no place on British airwaves. 648 00:34:52,467 --> 00:34:55,967 [narrator] The BBC considered such music, to be immoral 649 00:34:55,967 --> 00:35:00,300 favoring a bland diet of news and light entertainment. 650 00:35:00,300 --> 00:35:03,200 All of these era-defining artists 651 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:04,600 were releasing albums 652 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,166 that people just weren't able to listen to 653 00:35:07,166 --> 00:35:10,567 on traditional, conventional radio. 654 00:35:10,567 --> 00:35:12,867 [narrator] Irish businessman Ronan O'Rahilly 655 00:35:12,867 --> 00:35:15,367 was determined to find a work-around 656 00:35:15,367 --> 00:35:16,467 to Britain's refusal 657 00:35:16,467 --> 00:35:20,066 to give radio licenses to commercial broadcasters. 658 00:35:20,066 --> 00:35:24,367 He discovered that by operating three miles off the coast, 659 00:35:24,367 --> 00:35:27,634 they would be outside the government's legal reach. 660 00:35:28,266 --> 00:35:31,800 O'Rahilly raised around $700,000 661 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,000 to launch his passion project. 662 00:35:34,266 --> 00:35:35,500 [music playing] 663 00:35:36,767 --> 00:35:39,867 ♪♪ Caroline, the sound of the nation ♪ 664 00:35:39,867 --> 00:35:43,967 When Radio Caroline first started broadcasting in 1964, 665 00:35:43,967 --> 00:35:47,800 they were at the forefront of the pirate radio revolution. 666 00:35:48,867 --> 00:35:50,767 Suddenly, music fans could tune in 667 00:35:50,767 --> 00:35:53,300 and hear new artists whenever they wanted. 668 00:35:53,900 --> 00:35:55,800 ♪♪ Caroline ♪ 669 00:35:57,567 --> 00:35:59,266 [narrator] By 1965, 670 00:35:59,266 --> 00:36:00,967 around 15 million Brits 671 00:36:00,967 --> 00:36:05,066 were tuning into off-shore pirate radio on a daily basis. 672 00:36:05,066 --> 00:36:07,000 The BBC didn't like it 673 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,567 and neither did the British government. 674 00:36:09,567 --> 00:36:11,000 Over the following decades, 675 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:12,767 the authorities and the pirates 676 00:36:12,767 --> 00:36:15,100 played a game of cat and mouse, 677 00:36:15,100 --> 00:36:18,767 with the government passing new laws to shut them down 678 00:36:18,767 --> 00:36:22,400 and the pirates finding new ways to keep the music playing. 679 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:24,567 [narrator] In 1980, 680 00:36:24,567 --> 00:36:27,800 Radio Caroline's latest ship, the Mi Amigo, 681 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,600 sank during a violent storm. 682 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,500 The team needed a new boat. 683 00:36:32,500 --> 00:36:34,967 Enter, the Ross Revenge. 684 00:36:34,967 --> 00:36:37,967 Official broadcast of the new Radio Caroline 685 00:36:37,967 --> 00:36:42,867 began at noon on August 20th, 1983. 686 00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:44,400 [Nigel] This studio you see now 687 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,000 is the main on-air original studio 688 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:48,467 on the Ross Revenge. 689 00:36:48,467 --> 00:36:50,266 This is the mixer we used 690 00:36:50,266 --> 00:36:51,500 and it still works, 691 00:36:51,867 --> 00:36:52,900 as far as I know. 692 00:36:52,900 --> 00:36:54,667 Uh, microphone, 693 00:36:54,667 --> 00:36:57,867 faders here, four turntables, 694 00:36:57,867 --> 00:37:00,600 it was a great space to be, lots of fun out here. 695 00:37:04,266 --> 00:37:08,600 [narrator] But, Radio Caroline was treading a fine line. 696 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:12,300 And the British government's patience was running out. 697 00:37:13,300 --> 00:37:15,367 They were in international waters 698 00:37:15,367 --> 00:37:17,867 and that was supposed to keep them safe. 699 00:37:17,867 --> 00:37:19,400 And they were safe, 700 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,400 until the raiders arrived. 701 00:37:21,667 --> 00:37:23,100 [man speaking] 702 00:37:30,066 --> 00:37:31,667 [narrator] In the 1980s, 703 00:37:31,667 --> 00:37:33,967 the Ross Revenge was the base 704 00:37:33,967 --> 00:37:37,000 for pirate radio station, Radio Caroline. 705 00:37:37,500 --> 00:37:38,800 The ship may have operated 706 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,900 in the perceived safety of international waters, 707 00:37:41,900 --> 00:37:43,900 but that didn't stop the British government 708 00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:47,200 from cracking down in any way they could. 709 00:37:48,367 --> 00:37:51,166 [Nigel] Over time, things did get more complicated. 710 00:37:51,166 --> 00:37:54,467 The authorities became warier of boats getting out here. 711 00:37:54,467 --> 00:37:56,500 So, the time between our supply boats 712 00:37:56,500 --> 00:37:57,867 would get longer and longer and longer 713 00:37:57,867 --> 00:37:59,700 as things became more difficult. 714 00:38:01,467 --> 00:38:05,367 [narrator] Life onboard was about to get even tougher. 715 00:38:05,367 --> 00:38:08,767 The Ross Revenge was also home to a Dutch radio station, 716 00:38:08,767 --> 00:38:11,734 which made it a target for both countries' governments. 717 00:38:12,367 --> 00:38:15,000 On August 19th, 1989, 718 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,367 Nigel was hosting his morning show 719 00:38:17,367 --> 00:38:20,200 when suddenly, all hell broke loose. 720 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,066 [Nigel] I was on the air in here 721 00:38:24,066 --> 00:38:25,567 and it's a misty morning 722 00:38:25,567 --> 00:38:27,300 and I look through that porthole 723 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:28,567 out to the stern of the ship 724 00:38:28,567 --> 00:38:32,300 and through the mist, this great, big Dutch tug appeared. 725 00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:35,166 It came alongside, slammed alongside. 726 00:38:35,166 --> 00:38:38,800 Faced with a 30-strong, armed boarding party 727 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,900 the small crew were in no position to stop them. 728 00:38:44,867 --> 00:38:46,000 [man speaking] 729 00:39:04,767 --> 00:39:06,800 There were two or three of us in here 730 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,600 and they came and manhandled inside of the studios, 731 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:10,900 closed the door on us 732 00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:13,867 and then started to pull wires out of the back of the mixer. 733 00:39:13,867 --> 00:39:17,266 I just don't understand how this can be happening. 734 00:39:17,266 --> 00:39:20,567 The strange feeling in your-- in your stomach that, uh, 735 00:39:20,567 --> 00:39:22,400 "Is this the end? It can't be." 736 00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:24,800 [Onyeka] At 1:08 p.m., 737 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,266 the Ross Revenge was silenced, 738 00:39:27,266 --> 00:39:30,600 and Radio Caroline has gone off the airwaves. 739 00:39:31,867 --> 00:39:33,767 [narrator] While the pirate crew was rounded up 740 00:39:33,767 --> 00:39:35,367 and interrogated, 741 00:39:35,367 --> 00:39:37,600 the authorities went to work. 742 00:39:38,100 --> 00:39:39,233 [Rob] Studio equipment, 743 00:39:39,233 --> 00:39:42,700 records and tapes were all boxed up and confiscated. 744 00:39:42,700 --> 00:39:45,533 They even cut the aerial cables from the tower. 745 00:39:46,467 --> 00:39:48,200 [Sascha] They knew that they couldn't remove 746 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:50,600 the massive transmitters held below decks. 747 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:53,900 So, they simply took sledgehammers to the delicate electronics. 748 00:39:54,767 --> 00:39:57,100 [narrator] When the raiders had finally gone, 749 00:39:57,100 --> 00:39:59,634 Nigel was left to assess the damage. 750 00:40:00,667 --> 00:40:02,767 [Nigel] I saw beer bottles lying around everywhere. 751 00:40:02,767 --> 00:40:05,000 So, it was almost like they'd come out here 752 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000 on a-- on a bit of a jolly. 753 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:08,667 Bit of drinking, bit of smashing 754 00:40:08,667 --> 00:40:09,900 and then they went home. 755 00:40:11,100 --> 00:40:13,467 [narrator] The pirate DJs didn't give up. 756 00:40:13,467 --> 00:40:15,166 They scavenged replacement parts 757 00:40:15,166 --> 00:40:17,333 and quickly got back on air. 758 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,667 We had so much help from listeners as well. 759 00:40:20,667 --> 00:40:24,500 They donated food, they donated records. 760 00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:26,834 [narrator] But, the writing was on the wall. 761 00:40:27,266 --> 00:40:29,166 In November 1990, 762 00:40:29,166 --> 00:40:31,600 the ship was forced to stop broadcasting 763 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:35,467 due to a lack of fuel and essential supplies. 764 00:40:35,467 --> 00:40:38,266 It was left anchored in the English Channel 765 00:40:38,266 --> 00:40:39,734 to await its fate. 766 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:41,867 [Onyeka] In 1991, 767 00:40:41,867 --> 00:40:44,367 the Ross Revenge lost its moorings 768 00:40:44,367 --> 00:40:46,767 and began to drift onto a sand bank. 769 00:40:46,767 --> 00:40:49,100 And when the ship was eventually towed into port, 770 00:40:49,100 --> 00:40:53,500 its 27 year broadcast history came to an end. 771 00:40:59,266 --> 00:41:01,867 [narrator] Pirate radio, although illegal, 772 00:41:01,867 --> 00:41:03,467 is credited with paving the way 773 00:41:03,467 --> 00:41:05,900 for popular music to be given a voice 774 00:41:05,900 --> 00:41:07,667 in the United Kingdom. 775 00:41:07,667 --> 00:41:11,000 The Ross Revenge is part of that legacy. 776 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:14,100 [Rob] Today, the Ross Revenge is open to the public for visits. 777 00:41:14,100 --> 00:41:17,166 But, keeping a ship of this size in good condition 778 00:41:17,166 --> 00:41:18,800 is no easy feat. 779 00:41:20,100 --> 00:41:22,200 [Nigel] Well, it's still a lot of work to be done, uh, 780 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:23,300 on the Ross Revenge. 781 00:41:23,300 --> 00:41:24,900 It can't sit on the water forever. 782 00:41:24,900 --> 00:41:26,066 Unless its work is done, 783 00:41:26,066 --> 00:41:27,266 its future is uncertain.