Discovering 'Asian Corridor in Heaven': Where are these documentaries now?

I remember growing up and being addicted to that small television I had in my bedroom, but I wasn't just watching international films and cartoons all day and night, most of the time I found myself fascinated by the documentaries that would air on the BBC channels. These documentaries were often incredibly good, focusing on specific regions and their rich histories, as well as providing context into their diverse cultures. It seems that the idea of culture has been rather lost with the information age, as the Internet grew to the point where everyone has a smartphone and Internet access, to which culture became more of a central, uniform thing that everyone contributes to, thus losing some of that cultural identity as time goes on with that feature within society. I remember watching these older documentaries and finding such fascination with how different the world really was, how large it felt at the same time, to which now it often feels much smaller. While watching these documentaries it felt as if there was another world to be discovered, different civilisations within them that spoke of a completely different life to the one I held in England. The views of the world were like nothing else I had ever seen: dense forestry, large landscapes of mountain-ranges and rivers and lakes that ran through them. England was nothing like this, it was void of nature for the most part. Flat, dull, few trees to be seen.

I haven't had this feeling in a long time, aside from the moments of actually travelling and witnessing these elements of the world in reality. But the more I think about it, the more I feel that documentaries have heavily lost their storytelling ways. The seemingly endless number of documentaries I once binged through are no longer in that vast quantity. I rarely watch documentaries these days because to find them is a chore, few and far between. I love documentaries that really give depth into a lifestyle, a culture that is so unique. Especially giving context into these lives that people lead that are so different to the present, so afar from the modern world's way. Those history documentaries were simple, respectful, and made with such a unique style that I just have not seen anything else capturing that same aesthetic in recent times. And Asian Corridor in Heaven is another documentary series from that era. Having been released way back in 2007, it is shot in a truthful style that gives narration over the events the film has captured, nothing more. Nothing less. It's a documentary that captures the raw events, not trying to make it overly cinematic or interesting. And that adds to the atmosphere so much.

To watch this documentary is to enter another era, not even from the culture and time period that it captures and tells the story of, but from the filmmaking techniques themselves. There just isn't anything quite like this being made anymore, and it's a gem.

This is a six part series that has episodes about an hour in length each. These episodes detail the difficulties of people transporting goods through the oldest trade routes in the world. From the start this already sounds like something incredibly fascinating, how the rocky and mountainous landscapes between Tibet and China are established, and how people for centuries would transport goods, primarily known for its tea while also being the route for various other types of merchants to travel through. These two routes are known for being the eastern version of the Silk Road. To get a glimpse into the past as people still to this day use these routes to transport goods to neighbouring villages and towns, it's crazy to see the hardships that these people face, and more impressive that people less prepared would manage to navigate through these spaces before. The narration details the context into the events we see, and for the most part there's no discussion going on between the crew and the natives, instead we see how things really are. It's this rare glimpse into life as is, without the interference of the film crew as they usually would ask questions and attempt to integrate.

I did a bit of reading into the production and read that it's a joint production between Korean and Japanese broadcasting networks: KBS and NHK. NHK still somewhat makes these cultural mini documentaries on similar subjects, but this is the first time I have seen a collaboration in this scale. The narration is handled in Korean, but it's in a very gentle tone that's completely different to modern narration. Nothing about this documentary's events are handled in an exaggerated or dramatic manner. This is a show that details the events in a more respectful manner, it isn't trying to pull you in and make things look epic and a triumph, instead it displays the hardships and tradition that is experienced in regards to the route. Much of the route has changed over time, though not in the sense of huge roads and modernisation, but instead minor details that have changed to improve aspects of the trail. Instead of harsh waters, the people now use ropes to carry goods, even animals above the water. Still an incredibly dangerous event, to which the narration details the ways in which accidents have taken place in the past. Lives lost in such delicate moments.

I'm only two episodes into this documentary series so far, and I'm completely hooked in. From the incredibly beautiful scenes of such vast nature, to the beauty of the clothing and the tradition that is witnessed. From the superstitions held in the people, to the good luck given on their adventures. The ways in which they perform certain acts on the roads, going for miles at a time. Even down to the struggles of health as these people still sometimes have to return to civilisation as the trails get a bit too challenging at times. This is a show that really shows adventure, showcasing the simple yet near impossibly difficult lives people live, revealing the world as something so much more than what we now see through our phone screens. Coming at a time when such things were unknown, and I'm sure similar stories are still mostly untold. Yet to get a glimpse of these lifestyles is truly something beautiful, culture and traditions that absolutely must be protected while left alone. Void of interference as these people continue to maintain the ancient ways. It's impressive how so little about this part of the world is unknown, how the trails passed are still riddled with discoveries to be made. Ancient creations from those before, left behind deep in the mountains. Signs of life ready to be found again.

I couldn't help but write a few thoughts down on this show already, it's one I deeply recommend at this point on, and I'm really excited to go through it more and see how it progresses. But wow, it made me realise how big of a gap is now present within the world of documentaries, and how much this genre of television has changed, almost died entirely.