1969: Going Back To BIKINI ATOLL | Cameron Country | Classic Documentaries | BBC Archive

[@coconutsmarties]

What a wonderfully measured, thoughtful and introspective documentary. James had clearly spent many years haunted by the implications of what he'd seen.

[@ltipst2962]

I have to give my thanks to the BBC and James for this. Sharing this again is exactly what the archive release is for.

[@tdcattech]

04:45 - 13 seconds of 'silence'. The pace of these older films is wonderful. Almost mesmerizing.

[@lw3646]

Equally it's not stuffed with wall to wall music either like so many modern documentaries where we wait for the musical cue to tell us what to feel about something.

[@ltipst2962]

This is utterly amazing. I wish I could pass on my thanks to his family. He obviously kept onto this deeply for a very, very long time and it is entirely understandable in the modern age where everyone is still in awe at old footage of these bombs. Its absolutely astounding this exists and its very well appreciated you have uploaded this. Thank you. I will remember this for a life to come.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

A very moving (and frightening) documentary and what a wonderful reporter James Cameron was. The epitome of an old school, urbane English journalist.

[@iaina3251]

What a great video, terrific journalism and excellent writing.

[@commoneuropeanstarling]

James Cameron really had a way with words. Reportage at its best.

[@DaraM73]

Great to see thoughtful commentary on simple, well made, film documentary.

[@drummerbod]

Wow... a very intelligent man. My dad was on Christmas Island for Operation Grapple in the late 50s. The stories he told me about the tests scared the hell out of me. The bombs in the late 50s were on a different scale to those of the late 40s.

[@WiiNV]

A bomb Vs H bomb

[@deborahdshahan2014]

My dad was at castle bravo.

[@thortessem271]

Great video.

[@thexfile.]

The new generation of people always forgets what's learned in the past.

[@cor2250]

💯Your Right

[@martinjf467]

Wow! I was there in 2006 and dived the USS Saratoga EXACTLY 60 years to the day that she went down from the damage the Baker bomb inflicted. Everything was very different; the bunkers are still there of course and I think the assembly shed is now a workshop? But a row of small three room huts was built along the water front for the returning Bikinians, only for them to be evicted again in pretty short order! The air strip is very different too, it's no longer a tarmac strip, just hard packed rubble overgrown with grass. And most of the buildings on that part of the atoll (the airstrip is a boat ride from the housing and workshops etc) are gone!

[@bernardwallace4165]

Another of the old school great journalists from a time when the BBC used to be the pride of the nation.

[@stevenross-watt8640]

@15:26 what does he mean that the ships were crewed by corpses or maniacs? I assumed they were empty ships just there for testing impact? thx

[@neeni4]

They miscalculated. All those ships were too close….so the ships didn’t get destroyed, but all aboard died from the blast of radiation.

[@ctcurry1777]

It's actually quite disgusting how humans create death and destruction everywhere they go. Humans are doomed to destroy themselves. Great little film.

[@jameshurst3279]

Well I’ve learnt 10 new words

[@glad_to_be_mads]

I wish one could view all of the Cameron Country series.

[@ltipst2962]

I particularly liked the atom bar. The song they sang at the end was nice.

[@katiebonser9712]

Didn't you know that Godzilla is the metaphor of nuclear weapons and warfare? It's true.

[@cor2250]

True 💯Story

[@katiebonser9712]

@@cor2250 moral of the story is that nuclear weapons aren't toys and nuclear warfare/testing isn't a children's game. If you know what I mean?

[@cor2250]

@@katiebonser9712 true ,but tell that to others that not open they eyes but your right.its all elite game

[@alexandercarder2281]

The Japanese came to the Bikini Atoll for a simple reason, we become curious about the one that abused us, once time has passed and we have healed somewhat, we then become obsessed with the object of our abuse and consequence of our survival of it. It’s just like that.

[@TheAutostyle]

JOLLY GOOD

[@Ole_CornPop]

The irony of a British person talking about countries running people out of their homes. I love him but you still have to think about all the small things.

[@connor974]

"Atom bum"

[@Auraramorningstar]

Dogs leg

[@EMOTIONBIGLIFE]

Sponge Bob is made then😥

[@brittlecharm]

Is this what the mid-century British elite were like?

[@Dynastone]

spongebob

[@Nudnik1]

We may start to have to use it again.. God forbid... I worked for DOE AEC.

[@ltipst2962]

What does that mean? And what was it like working for them?

[@fidelcatsro6948]

russia left the chat..

[@fidelcatsro6948]

why cant we goback to chernobyl today like they did here after 20yrs?

[@An4gram]

Whinging Pom

[@glassowlie]

HOOOOOOOOOO!

[@andreasproteus1465]

In the olden days BBC fakery was at least spoken with a good educated accent and thus was more believable.

[@Nudnik1]

Bias broadcasting corporation =BBC

[@ltipst2962]

Can you explain the fakery to me?

[@pit_stop77]

Tinfoil hat on there i see

[@fidelcatsro6948]

superb use of english lingua meowca

[@ltipst2962]

I'm kindly waiting on the reply Andreas, I'd like an explanation as to what BBC fakery even means