Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, TV And Film
Claire Reid
A new Netflix documentary that delves into the events of the 2019 Whakaari volcano disaster has been branded the ‘saddest documentary ever’ by viewers.
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari landed on Netflix this month and centres on the devastating eruption on New Zealand’s Whakaari - also known as the White Island - which left 22 people dead.
Whakaari is a popular tourist destination and 47 people were on the island on 9 December 2019 when the volcano explosively erupted.
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Twenty-two people died, either from the eruption itself or from the injuries they sustained during it - including two people whose bodies were never found. Alongside those killed 25 people were injured, with many needing intensive care for severe burns.
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari tells the story of what happened that day as well as shining a light on the rescuers and survivors.
A synopsis from Netflix reads: "A minute-by-minute account of tourists caught in a tragic volcanic eruption while sightseeing on an island off New Zealand in 2019, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari celebrates the survivors, as well as the everyday people who courageously came to their rescue.
Viewers have been left heartbroken after watching the documentary with one person taking to Twitter to say: “The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari is one of the saddest things I've ever seen. It's incredibly maddening that these private companies were able to advertise the island as safe enough to visit.
"That there was NO emergency plan in place is astounding. My heart breaks for those lost.”
Another said: “Just finished The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari and it’s probably one of the saddest documentaries I’ve ever watched. My word.”
Another person said: “Can’t stop crying watching The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari on @netflix. Powerfully intense and heartbreaking documentary. Just wow.”
The documentary was directed by the Oscar-nominated Rory Kennedy.
In an interview with the Scientific Inquirer, Kennedy opened up about why he wanted to create the film.
He said: I was deeply moved by the personal stories of the people who were on this remote island 48 kilometres off the coast of New Zealand and the harrowing events that they lived through.
“Unfortunately, not everybody survived and then heroic stories of the pilots, the captains of the boats and other everyday people who really turned into heroes that day, doing what they could to save others and I found the story even in the face of this great tragedy quite inspiring and was interested in it immediately and turning it into a documentary.”
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari is available to stream on Netflix now.