The documentary
Tears of the Amazon, which MBC specially produced to commemorate its anniversary, recorded the highest ever program rating for a documentary. According to TNS Media Korea, a program rating research company, "
Tears of the Amazon" (Director
Kim Jin-man-I,
Kim Hyeon-cheol), which was aired on January 8th at 10:55pm, recorded a viewer rating of 25.3% (market share of 40.9%) in the capital area, making it the highest program rating ever recorded by a documentary.
Producer
Kim Jin-man-I said, "This is such a surprising rating. I cannot say anything else but thank you. We all experienced many difficulties while shooting the documentary and we are thankful that viewers have acknowledged it.
The producers on-site and our staff members will devote their utmost to producing the second and third episodes as well as the epilogue so that viewers can feel the same sensations they felt".
Jeong Seung-hu, the Chief Producer, said, "I must express my deepest gratitude to our viewers. I had hoped that respect for the Zoe tribe, who hunt together, share their food equally, and live a comfortable life within their society, would touch viewers who are living through difficult times".
CP Jeong Seung-hu also expressed his expectations about the second episode, which will soon be aired, saying, "The second episode, Paradise Lost, will show many sad and touching scenes.
The episode will depict societies destroyed by civilization (including scenes concerning tribes who hunt monkeys to trade the meat for other goods, etc). It shows that civilization can be hazardous.
The episode does not have any strong messages or incidents. But it will provide an opportunity for us to reflect on our lives through the fresh and beautiful scenes".
Tears of the Amazon is the second of three serialized documentaries on 'Uncomfortable Truth' about the destruction of the global environment by global warming.
MBC produced "
Tears of the Amazon" with the support of the Korea Communications Commission (Korea Radio Promotion Agency). The documentary is a mega-budget production with a direct production cost of over KRW 1 billion.
MBC announced last September that "it would establish a Task Force in order to continue producing series that show the reality of the destruction caused by global warming", and that "it would show the severity of global environmental problems in future series".
The Current Affairs and Documentaries Division of MBC plans to prepare Tears of the South Pole, the last of the three series, in April (the other two series being "
Tears of the Amazon" and "
Tears in the Arctic").
Source: Korea Press Foundation
