IDoc Exploration

Journey To The End of Coal is a harrowing interactive documentary by Samuel Bollendorff and Abel Ségrétin. Set in China in 2008, the documentary explores individual coal miners who risk their lives trying to provide for their families in a society that looks past the safety of their employees in favour of the demand for coal.

As the participant, I was placed in the position of a freelance journalist investigating the conditions in which the subjects live and work. I witnessed a variety of mines and recounts from workers, including mine accident survivors.

The extremely sophisticated visual design of this IDoc along with the suitably eerie soundtrack worked together to involve me in the story. I was given my position and then presented with an option in the beginning that involved choosing a direction to travel in. The hand held captured footage presented on the train journey presented me with the familiar idea of the waiting involved in travel.

All components were able to be ‘skipped’ over. Each new photograph of a town or subject also provided a general information box in the bottom left hand corner of the screen which contained information such as the name, population, temperature and age (of individual). When interacting with a person from the town, an image of the person engaging in an activity or staring directly into the camera appears on screen. Options for questions to ask the subject appear on the screen. I selected a question and then the audio from the interview was played with an English translation. There were also videos incorporated into the documentary. Some of these were not directly related to working in mines, but rather home-style videos of the people that exist in these polluted, desolate landscapes.

The final interview I encountered with mining survivor was a truly heartbreaking insight into his future. He was compelled to continue working for the mine and also needs to provide for his family and with no money and therefore way to return to his home town, he has no option but to stay. He will not be guaranteed safety in his work knowing there are no unions to prevent these frequent accidents and a government that prioritises their economy.

The closing statement  asked me to reflect on my experiences when I return home, and contemplate how I could solve this problem. At the end I was presented with a map of my journey that allowed me to put my experience in perspective geographically.

This documentary opened my eyes to this dangerous and unstoppable industry by allowing me to feel as though I was engaging with the individuals who were suffering first-hand. The combination of video, photography and sound recordings from interviews hooked me into the unfamiliar environment. I felt sympathy for the workers who have no hope.

I now feel compelled to learn more about this issue. I also feel inspired to create an informative IDoc myself knowing that this unique concept was conveyed simply and effectively through creating simple, yet meaningful connections that I formed myself.