In today’s installment of “Things Kristen Found on Netflix” is a documentary on a fire in 1979 at Sydney’s Luna Park (pictured below, thanks to Trip Advisor).
Yes, I find that entrance terrifying. But we soldier on.
The documentary was made in 2021 by Australian Broadcast Company (now on Netflix) called “Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire.” In it, we learn that 7 people died in a massive fire in a specific ride in 1979. At the time, Australians were told it was an electrical fire.
However, that never sat right with some people, including the best friend of four of the boys who passed.
So now we’ve got a few investigative reporters on the case, with the full backing of this network, and stuff. gets. un. covered. Spoiler alert: it was not an electrical fire.
I found it both gripping and emotional. We are asked to sit with the grief of the family members, and the memories of some of the people there that evening. As the reporters peeled back layer after layer of what *actually* happened, my husband and I were on the proverbial edges of our seats.
I’m grateful to live in an age where I can watch stories like this from around the world. They give us slices of life that I would have never had access to without streaming services.
Plus, I find it incredibly important that – when someone offers up their pain – we learn to sit with it and treat it with care. We don’t seek to dismiss it or pretend we know their pain. We simply hold it for them as they process. It’s a key part of empathy, which is a core of what we teach.
