Following the disappearance of a caesium-137 tube, the discovery of radiated red dust in a metal foundry in Prachin Buri has sparked fear of contamination of radioactive substances in the environment. I've picked some documentaries and films that portray the man-made impact of radiation on communities.
Chernobyl (2019)
Produced by HBO, the five-part miniseries follows a massive explosion of the nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, in April 1986 and those who make sacrifices to alleviate the impact of the man-made catastrophe. It stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard and Emily Watson.
It is based on the explosion of the fourth reactor at Chernobyl that contaminated swathes of Ukraine and Belarus. It led to the creation of an exclusion zone, which Ukrainian authorities deem unsafe for humans to live in for another 24,000 years.
Pandora (2016)
This drama on Netflix follows an earthquake that hits a nuclear power plant in a small town in South Korea. The protagonist, who loses his father and brother to a cooler exposure accident in the plant, risks his life to save people from the imminent disaster. It stars Kim Nam-gil, Kim Joo-hyun and Jung Jin-young.
It is thought to be influenced by the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. After an earthquake-triggered tsunami crashed into the nuclear power station, the meltdown sent a cloud of radiation over a large area and forced a massive evacuation.
(Photo courtesy of Korean Film Council)
