Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration after Apocalypse

Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse is a riveting documentary released in 2020 that takes a stark look into the strange allure and inconsistent realm of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, in the aftermath of a 1986 nuclear disaster, exploring what life both biological and human have sustained after an apocalypse.

Directed by Iara Lee, the impactful film fearlessly sets out to chronicle, not just the grim aftermath of the disaster, but the rare emergence of life post-apocalyptic, the development of tourism, and the explorations within the zone. As the title suggests, environmental stalking or Stalker tourism, which involves individuals known as 'stalkers' visiting the zone either for thrill-seeking or for historical education, is a focal point in the narrative.

The film starts with an unflinching exploration into the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, presenting captivating archival footages. It paints a grim yet riveting account of the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment ever to occur on this planet. You feel the impact of the disaster, its scale, its repercussions, and the subsequent abandonment of a vast stretch of land known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Following the detailed anatomy of the tragic disaster, the film delves into the heart of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, as it is today – a haunting but oddly captivating stretch of land spanning across Belarus and Ukraine, a ghost town inhabited by an array of wildlife, scavenger artists, a little tight-knit community of self-settlers, and the adventurous stalkers.

Through the lens of Lee, viewers are introduced to the new breed of tourists, known as 'stalkers,' who visit Chernobyl for not just capturing photos, exploration, or a surreal experience, but also for seeking solace, as they come face to face with the remnants of the catastrophic past. The word 'stalker' comes from a 1979 film by Andrei Tarkovsky, which eerily involves characters venturing into an irradiated ‘zone’.

The movie doesn't shy away from the undeniable thrills the endangerment holds, the adrenalin as one crosses borders illegally, the exploratory wonderment of new biomes leeched with radiation, urban ruins being gradually consumed by wilderness, and the overt and covert nightlife inside the exclusion zone. It delves deep into the unblocked pathways into the ‘Zone of Alienation’, along the radiation-toxic trails that give unique, unfiltered experiences to these stalkers and artists.

The film also acknowledges the resilience of life, both human and non-human, thriving in this ruinous land. It showcases the eco-impact post-disaster, becoming an unintentional wildlife sanctuary home to several group of animals, such as wolves, deer, and birds that have reclaimed the abandoned villages and towns. It even explores the strange radiotrophic fungi that feed on radiation.

We are then introduced to a stubborn and resilient community of self-settlers, called 'samosely' who refused to leave their homes during and after evacuation orders and have chosen to live in this toxic land. Their human spirit, their nostalgic stories of home and land, of refusing to be cowed down by the epic catastrophe that has occurred in their backyard, adds a semblance of warmth and unexpected inspiration.

True to its name, Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse is an exploration, an intention to understand, comprehend, and communicate - not with fear, but understanding, empathy, and respect. This movie provides not just a journey through an eerie, abandoned landscape, but also offers a search for meaning amongst the ruins, for life amongst death, and hope amongst despair. The film unearths the devastating effects of a man-made catastrophe, balanced by the eerie beauty and unexpected resilience of life on the edge of chaos.

Strongly thematic and deeply contemplative, the movie is a must-watch for all those intrigued by history, exploration, adventure, and the undying spirit of mankind standing tall and resilient in the face of destruction.