Original subtitles

(mysterious theme music)

NARRATOR: In satellite images of South Korea,

it is possible to make out mysterious strips in the ocean

set out in regular rows along huge stretches near the coast...

for miles on end!

If we fly closer, we can see that the strips are like fields,

arranged in the shallow water around the islands.

We are determined to take a look at this mysterious place

and travel to South Korea.

The islands are in the Wando District.

From the land there isn't really much to be seen.

Mainly, we can make out buoys, as far as the eye can see.

And boats move between them now and then.

We ask the captain of one boat in the small harbour

if he could take us out.

It isn't long before we get closer.

And now we see something like fields out here at sea.

A fishing boat crosses our path.

The captain tries to explain about the nets.

It turns out that the boat is a kind of harvester.

It positions itself at the beginning of a net,

which is then pulled over the bow of the boat.

Woo Nam Choung has been at sea his whole life.

He's an algae fisherman. So that's it!

Algae grows in the nets. In Korean it is known as gim.

Like a combine harvester in a field, the boat moves underneath the net.

Rotating knives cut the algae from the net,

leaving a black mass of algae.

It may not look very appetising, but it's extremely popular,

and not only in Korea!

Up to 850,000 tons of it is harvested here each year.

The gim from this region is considered

the best in the whole of Korea.

It only takes the crew two minutes to harvest the algae from one net.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:This boat alone brings in 6,000 kg a day.

It's absolutely back-breaking work for the crew.

When they have finished, they head back to port.

Before we see what happens to the algae next,

we want to find out what's in these boxes.

We decide to take a closer look.

Lots of landing stages tied together.

Here, even a crane is used.

What are they pulling out?

At first sight it looks like more algae cultivation.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:Snails? They look more like mussels.

But they really are snails.

Abalones are a delicacy in many Asian countries, including Korea.

The snails are removed from the stone plates with water and spades.

In the old days, fishermen had to dive for these snails

in the open sea. Today they are farmed on stone plates.

Algae is the perfect food for the creatures.

These snails are an exclusive delicacy.

It takes about three years for each one to grow large enough to be sold.

The crew harvest about 1,200 abalones each day.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:The snails are sorted into a total of 14 different sizes.

In a restaurant, a plate like this can cost as much as 90 Euro.

Generally, abalones are eaten raw. But they can also be fried.

- (indistinct Korean conversation)

NARRATOR: But what happens to the algae now?

The gim fishermen have returned to port.

The first buyers are taking a look at today's catch.

The algae is packaged for transport before leaving the boats.

This is the hardest part of the job,

because the wet algae is heavy and sticks together.

Gim is always harvested between December and March.

For the fishermen of this region, algae is the most important

source of income.

The buyers bid for each ship's load in an auction.

Depending on the quality, the fishermen get between

60 and 75 Euro per sack.

Then, the fresh algae is brought to factories like this one.

And here it is transformed into sushi wrapping!

Sun Pil Seo is the manager of the factory.

And of course, in that capacity, he has to try out the goods.

And in the process, we also discover that algae

has other uses than as a food.

After a hard day's work the employees here

like to relax in an algae bath.

The algae functions both as a towel and as an occasional snack.

# MARVIN GAYE: Let's Get It On #

NARRATOR:Here we discover completely new aspects of algae.

However, most of the algae ends up not in a bath but in the factory.

Each day, a truck drives up with the precious cargo.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:First, the algae is placed in vats of water.

It is softened here and oxygenated, so it stays fresh longer.

Sun Pil Seo wants to show us the rest of the production process.

The sushi wrappings his factory produces

are renowned around the world as the best.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR: Then, the algae is chopped up.

In its present form it couldn't be processed.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:The next step is for the algae to be washed in fresh water.

Here, too, it's very important to taste it.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR:The algae water mixture is then taken to the filling plant.

The proportion of water and algae

determines how thick the sushi wrapper will be.

This machine presses the sushi wrapper into the right shape.

Sponges then get rid of the excess water.

Finished. Now the wrappers have to be dried.

This takes place in the heating section,

almost 20 metres long.

The wrappers spend two hours in here.

And this also wraps up the question of where the algae wrappers

for our sushi restaurants originate!

But the algae wrappers are often utilised in Korea as well,

because Koreans have their own kind of sushi.

Gimbap looks like sushi, but instead of fish,

usually it only contains a mixture of vegetables, ham and egg.

Here, the wrappers are roasted in sesame oil,

and afterwards they are salted.

The roasting process gives them a green tint.

Dae Myung Lee deals with roasted sushi wrappers every day.

But that certainly doesn't mean he has had enough of them.

- (speaks Korean)

NARRATOR: But why is this particular region

one of the biggest algae cultivation areas in the world?

After all, there's plenty of water in other places too.

But here in Wando, the water quality is particularly good,

creating ideal conditions for algae and snails.

The roasted algae wrappers are now cut to shape and then packaged.

And now we also understand the secret

of those curious shapes in the ocean off South Korea.

We travel on to Alaska.

In Alaska of all places,

in the endless, ice-cold expanses of North America,

we find a town with citizens

literally living on top of each other...

in this high-rise block.

Apart from a handful of seasonal workers,

all 218 residents of the village live here.

An entire town under one roof.

But why?

Nick Swain grew up here in Whittier.

He lives in apartment 412 with his bulldog...

and his pregnant girlfriend.

They met as teenagers in the town...

or rather, in the apartment block.

- She lived on the 5th floor and I lived on the 10th floor,

but we always ended up at our friend Brandy's house,

who lived on the 8th floor.

And then I found out we were having a baby

and I got my own apartment and everything to start my family.

NARRATOR:These days, Nick also works in the building,

as one of the three maintenance men.

His first stop every morning is the Building Administration.

- I got a work order here. It's for unit 1001.

I think there's a problem in their heat line.

And there also 1212, kitchen sink leak.

- OK. - So, if you don't mind

- checking on those for us. - Alright.

- Here's the work order. Thank you. - Thanks.

I'll go get it done.

NARRATOR:The building has 15 floors and 198 apartments.

Rents for the apartment vary between

800 and 1,200 Euro per month.

- BTI maintenance.

Hey, Bob, you home?

NARRATOR: Doors are usually not locked.

Everyone knows each other and trusts each other.

The tenant isn't at home, but Kurt and Nico,

the other two maintenance men, come by.

They quickly spot the problem.

This is the 10th radiator in the building

that has broken down this week.

- The actuator's not working, so the heat is staying wide open.

So, when he come in here, it's 90 degrees in here.

We don't like 90 degree weather.

-Yeah, this stuff's outdated.

And as it's going out we're replacing it.

Sometimes we come across something that's...

four generations out of technology.

NARRATOR:No wonder. The apartment block was built 60 years ago.

Originally as an Army base,

defence against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.

In the 1950s, it was the tallest building in Alaska.

The US Army moved out in 1974.

The barracks were transformed into individual apartments.

But to this day, nobody except the military

can build anything in the town,

which is why there aren't any new houses

or apartment blocks in Whittier.

So, the whole town lives in one apartment block

with almost everything you could need.

A recycling depot, for example, in the middle of the building.

The city offices are on the ground floor.

The mayor has his office here, too.

In the basement, we come across a church used by

three different congregations every Sunday.

And a tunnel takes you to the school

in the very next building.

35 children have lessons here each day,

from 1st to 12th grade.

- (upbeat pop music)

NARRATOR:This footage of the school is from the local TV station.

This week, there are vacations here in Whittier.

That's why children, like Nicole and Arvi, are at home.

- I love that it's small, but at the same time

I don't like how small it is.

It... Yeah. I don't know how to elaborate on that much.

But I do like having such a very close community.

NARRATOR:Her mother, Veronica, came here from the Philippines

eight years ago with her family.

She found a job here in Whittier, round the corner, of course.

- See, I work on that farm, which says "Great Pacific,"

if you can see that sign right there.

That's the Great Pacific Seafood. I work at.

If we want to see something, like who's going to anchor in,

who's walking, we use these binoculars.

We find out, "Oh, he's going to the bar",

so we know who is going. (laughs)

That's how bored we are.

NARRATOR:To combat the boredom, we head two floors down.

- Oh, everybody is here!

NARRATOR:So the kids have something to do in the vacation,

Veronica and her friends rented an empty apartment cheap,

and turned it into a playroom.

But why doesn't anybody play outside?

- I'm scared to go outside.

Because it's too windy.

- It's so windy we can't throw a football outside,

or stuff like that.

Just sit in the lobby, ride the elevator up and down.

- I'm not really much of a person who goes outside,

so I guess it doesn't affect me as much.

But when I do go outside, I'm always like,

"Wow, this would be great with a blanket right now."

NARRATOR:There is almost always an ice-cold wind

whistling through Whittier, with gusts of up to 70 km an hour.

Temperature with wind chill factor, even in spring: -25 degrees.

No wonder the streets here are deserted.

But there is also a yacht marina.

And plenty of shops all around.

Because the town is transformed in summer.

For two months, the sun virtually never sets here

and it's over 20 degrees.

Then, 3,000 tourists turn up every weekend.

Which explains the hotel in the building, up on the 15th floor.

June Miller opened it 15 years ago.

- This is the Presidential suite.

NARRATOR:June rents out eight suites like this.

In the high season, she can charge $350 a night.

Most of her guests are deep-sea fishermen,

who often bring their whole families.

So, in July and August, June becomes a travel guide.

- In the summertime versus the winter,

we have back-to-back reservations.

We have people checking out in the morning,

and then we hurry up and clean,

and then we have people that come and get keys, and get, you know,

parking instructions, and they say

"Oh, we're going here, we're going there.

We're all gonna go catch this boat"

And I said, I tell them how to park their car,

and what to watch out for today, if there's a bear running around,

to watch out for the bears when they go out to the parking lot.

NARRATOR: Of course, June herself also lives

in the apartment block. She's been in Whittier for 25 years.

And she's sort of an unofficial mayoress here.

Everyone knows her, and she knows everyone.

Even if June needs something for dinner after training,

she doesn't have to go outside.

There's the Cozy Corner Store on the ground floor.

Their very own supermarket.

- If I don't have to leave the building,

I can stay here for months on end

without even having to go into Anchorage.

Some people pride themselves and say,

"I didn't have to go to Anchorage for six months.

The only time I had to go is for the dentist or the chiropractor."

So, people pride themselves into staying here,

because we have everything we need.

NARRATOR:But there are also genuine commuters in this town.

The next morning at 6:30, Keith Pratt leaves for work.

His wife works in the City Office,

but he has to commute to the capital, Anchorage, every day.

- Drive safe.

NARRATOR: Keith's workplace is 50 km away,

almost an hour's drive.

If he gets to the tunnel on time, that is.

- The tunnel opens in four minutes.

So, we'll be alright, because it stays open for five

on cold mornings like this.

NARRATOR: Whittier is surrounded by mountains.

The only way in or out of the place is a single-lane tunnel.

Every half an hour, the traffic direction changes,

but the gates at the entrance only open for five minutes.

Otherwise the wind and the icy air

could cause a rock fall in the tunnel.

There are just inches to spare on each side of the car.

- There's been accidents in the tunnel where somebody

hits a curb and not react properly,

wrecked their car, they have to get towed out.

Last year, there was a high speed chase,

that came from Seward,

and they came up in, and the guy came down Portis road,

crashed through the gate at the front, and drove into the tunnel.

The cops got him somewhere in the middle of the tunnel.

NARRATOR:Incidentally, the tunnel is only open

from 7 in the morning to 10 at night.

After that, nobody can get into or out of Whittier.

Only rescue vehicles can use the tunnel then.

At 7:15, Keith is on the highway heading towards Anchorage.

One of the finest commuter routes in the world.

In Whittier, too, a new day is beginning.

The high-rise block in the Gulf of Alaska, a beautiful situation.

But the ravages of time

are taking their toll on the former army barracks.

The facade has been in need of renewal for years.

And there are even bigger problems.

The heating system in the cellar, for example.

It's so old, maintenance man, Nick,

has to adjust the steam feed by hand several times a day.

The building is completely independent.

All repairs have to be approved by the residents, who pay for them.

And there are some urgent needs.

- The building itself is in pretty rough shape. We gotta...

We want to redo our whole boiler system,

and we also have to redo the drains,

the main drain.

It's pretty corroded. I actually have a picture here somewhere.

This is what one of the main drains looks like right here.

If that doesn't get some and something major busts there...

The whole building is gonna be out in a honey bucket.

(laughs) And we don't want that.

NARRATOR: The citizens of Whittier

could soon be in for repairs costing millions.

It isn't at all clear how much longer

the apartment block will be financially viable.

Losing it would be a tragedy for the unofficial mayoress of the town.

- The reason I love Whittier is I love the water, I love mountains,

I love glaciers, I love just being in this big building.

It's so secure. It's so... comfortable.

NARRATOR:Despite the bad weather, despite being trapped inside,

the people here are devoted to their mysterious place

because it is home for them.

NARRATOR: We find our next mysterious place

on the west coast of France.

Here, a very curious road links an island to the mainland.

Apparently, we are in the right place.

The nearer we get to our destination,

the more warning signs appear. In various languages, too.

Apparently, extreme danger lurks here.

But why are so many vehicles parked by the road?

What are they waiting for?

The GPS tells us to drive on.

But the road goes right into the ocean.

Water as far as the eye can see,

apart from the island, we can make out on the horizon.

So, is there no way of driving across?

Or does the road reappear at some point? We decided to ask.

- (speaking French)

NARRATOR: So, back to the underwater road.

And sure enough, there it is! Emerging from the Atlantic Ocean.

Up to 300,000 cars a year use this road,

which is about 5 km in length.

Tourists in particular don't appreciate the danger

on this unusual route.

- (tense dramatic music)

NARRATOR:Karine runs a restaurant on the road.

She keeps a lookout with binoculars

for tourists who don't make it to the land.

And in emergencies, she raises the alarm.

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:But what exactly is so dangerous about this road?

On foot, we realise quickly: the sea has left its mark.

There is algae everywhere. The surface is wet and slippery.

That leads to the danger of skidding on the road.

# LOST FREQUENCIES: Are You With Me #

NARRATOR: We meet a road maintenance team.

They tell us that they check the road every time the tide goes out

and, as far as possible, clean it up.

Jean-Charles is with the volunteer Fire Brigade.

He and his colleagues regularly have to turn out for rescue missions.

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:But what can you do if the way back is blocked

and the water is getting closer?

We notice some strange towers at the roadside, rising up into the sky.

Surely this local fisherman can explain.

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:So, if somebody is cut off here by the water,

they can reach a safe place.

And there is certainly a fine view.

People do get stuck out here, up to 10 times a year,

despite the warning signs.

There are three towers along the road, almost 5 km in length.

So, in emergencies, the distances between the life-saving platforms

would be much too great.

That's why there are also these posts.

It's obvious at once that old people and children

would find it hard to climb them in emergencies.

But why do cars sink beneath the water

and people get stranded so often?

After all, there are plenty of warning signs.

And the times of high and low tide are easy to find out.

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:The people who underestimate the powerful force

of the ebb and flood tides are mainly tourists.

The problem is that they park on the sandbanks next to the road.

If they wait too long, the water rises, and the sand becomes soft.

The wheels sink in, and they can't get away.

Are tourists really so foolhardy?

The region is well known for its mussels.

Visitors dig for them in the sand.

In about two hours, everything here will be swallowed up.

But do the tourists know that?

- (speaking French)

NARRATOR: The lady is a whole hour out.

And relying on other people is also dangerous.

The tide is starting to come in.

Slowly, things are getting hectic all around us.

Cars are leaving the road.

The warning signs at the entrance are turned on.

When the water comes, it comes quickly.

But still there are drivers who take their chances and try to get across.

The first parts of the road are already underwater.

There is simply no way through now.

In a matter of minutes, the road is swallowed up by the Atlantic again.

At least, until the tide goes out next time.

From France, our journey continues to Switzerland.

In Switzerland, there are houses which conceal a secret.

- (ominous music)

NARRATOR:The window frames are only glued in place,

and the curtains are painted on concrete.

These sheds look suspiciously like dummies as well.

What's the secret behind these curious buildings?

Maybe the locals can help us.

We show them some photographs of the curious buildings

and ask what they are.

Does anybody live there, and if so, who?

But we soon establish that nobody has any idea.

- (speaking German)

NARRATOR:Finally, we do meet somebody who can help

and, most importantly, is allowed to talk about the subject.

Silvio Keller is going to initiate us into the secret

of these curious buildings,

of which there are many more in Switzerland.

There are even some in the middle of the forest.

Just a few years ago, Keller would have been thrown in jail

for these revelations.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR: It's the same with this villa.

And this inconspicuous barn is in fact the entrance

to a secret underground kingdom.

It looks from the outside as though it would just about have room

for a couple of farm implements ,

but in fact, it's a military labyrinth

extending over several floors.

In the middle of the 1990s, there were 26,000

military bunkers in Switzerland.

Several thousand of them are still active today.

Most of them date back to the Second World War.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:Switzerland, the only neutral country,

is surrounded by lands that are at war.It'sfrightening.

The government develops a radical plan in case of invasion.

Part of Switzerland will be abandoned.

The army and the population will withdraw to the mountains,

where they will dig in using bunkers like this.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:The Swiss didn't just plan to bury themselves.

They made sure they could really carry on living in their bunkers.

For example, there's an electrically powered ventilation system

that also works during war.

Active charcoal filters clean the stale air.

Fresh air can be obtained not only from above

but, in the case of a gas attack, also from below,

from the underground area.

The fumes from the cannons can also be filtered,

so the soldiers don't suffocate while they are firing them.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:Each bunker has enough food for several weeks.

A carefully-planned schedule ensures that the soldiers remain fit.

In this case, the facility was manned by 18 soldiers

and a commanding officer.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:Guns, and not only rifles.

All sorts of weaponry was hidden in the rocks...

..including a big cannon in the middle of the village,

which is still there.

Although the Swiss were spared direct involvement in the War,

they maintained their bunkers.

More than that, the camouflaged shed with painted wooden planks

was only added in the 1960s.

The reason: The Cold War. Fear of Russia.

The Swiss wanted to be able to defend themselves.

With this, for example.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR: The cannons are almost 70 years old.

They were never upgraded, with thousands of bunkers,

it would have cost too much.

But there was never any question of abandoning these positions.

It's hard to believe soldiers were stationed here up to 1993,

long after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

Apparently, mistrust of their neighbours

is deep-seated for the Swiss. Like the yearning for security.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:The Swiss are famous for their defensive measures.

But are the rumours true? It's said that every man has a gun at home.

And submarines cruise at the bottom of the lakes, unnoticed.

- (speaks German)

NARRATOR:Bunkers aren't only for the Armed Forces.

Some private houses also have their own shelters

with thick concrete walls.

- (speaks German)

NARATOR:But this law doesn't enjoy universal approval in Switzerland.

- (speaking German)

NARRATOR: In contrast to the civilian bunkers,

the Swiss army installations have been cut back a lot now

for cost reasons.

Since the mid-1990s,

the army has given up over half of its facilities,

like this artillery emplacement in the mountains, for example.

But like many others, this is being kept

in working order by enthusiasts.

- (speaking German)

NARRATOR: There are still several thousand

active Army bunkers in Switzerland which are military secrets.

But today, many of the mountain bunkers have been decommissioned,

so they're no longer confidential. Some are open to the public.

There is even a book showing the best camouflaged buildings.

There is little danger that they will disappear

in the immediate future. Because ultimately,

it's cheaper to maintain the camouflage

than demolish the concrete fortresses.

And this way, the Swiss get to keep their mysterious bunkers.

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