Krakatoa: The Day That Shook The World
(1983)
An absorbing exploration of a huge natural disaster, Krakatoa: The Day That Shook The World was first broadcast on the centenary of the island's massive eruption, and features unique photos taken at the time, interspersed with modern day recordings of volcanic activity.
Award-winning wildlife cameraman Dieter Plage spent two years in Indonesia shooting this hour long Survival Special, exploring the devastating effect the 1883 blast had on the area's rich biodiversity, and how nature has slowly repaired the damage.
Filming extensively on Anak Krakatoa, the new volcano that rose in place of its infamous forefather, Plage's footage reveals the wealth of flora and fauna that has colonised this 'new' land. Also focusing on the remote Javan region of Ujung Kulon, declared a National Park after its isolation by the monstrous tidal waves produced by the eruption, this production covers a huge range of unique wildlife, including the first ever footage of the endangered Javan rhinoceros in the wild.
With an ecological balance now restored in the region, Krakatoa: The Day That Shook The World is an interesting insight into how devastatingly catastrophic, yet surprisingly resilient the natural world can be.
