The Spectacle is a short reflective documentary that sheds light on the evolving nature of travel behavior in today’s digital age. Filmed in various locations across South Norway, Lapland, and Türkiye, the film unravels the transformation of serene landscapes into bustling tourist attractions.
Filmed in tableaux vivant shots, The Spectacle reveals a stark reality: as travelers embark on what they perceive to be unique journeys, their focus has shifted from experiencing the essence of a place to merely capturing its highlights for online sharing. This collective detachment from the places we travel to emphasizes a growing tendency to view the world through the lens of a camera rather than through our own eyes.
From daily swing photoshoots in flowing dresses against the windswept backdrop of the Cappadocian desert, to going on tours to indigenous Sámi villages in Lapland, and recording TikTok videos on top of a 1,000-meter-high rock in Norway, this film delves into the other side of the perfect vacation photo. It exposes the repetitive choreography that defines modern tourism, presenting it as a grand spectacle—a public performance where, in the quest for "authentic" experiences, tourists often go to extreme lengths, sometimes even risking their own lives or the safety of their children.
The Spectacle prompts us to reconsider what we truly gain from these so-called authentic experiences, and to reflect on the cost, both to ourselves and to the natural world.
