Red Bus Productions

Research

2012 Beliefs

Mayan calendar:

The Mayans are an ancient civilization. They devised a series of calendars, dating back to at least the 5th century BC, the most prominent of which being the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. One reason the belief that the world will end in 2012 arose was due to the misinterpretation of this calendar, when it is due to begin a new cycle.

Although it is commonly believed that no Mayans survive today, this is untrue. There are many Mayan communities still living throughout Mexico. Some Mayans believe that 2012 will simply bring a new spiritual era, and there have even been reports of Mayans stating that the events of 2012 have been hyped by the media to gain profit.

Possible contacts:

Mayan Communities in Guatemala - Here is one of the numerous sites dedicated to sustainable tourism. This particular one offers the opportunity to stay with a Mayan family and experience their way of life. This could prove a useful contact if we were to interview a Mayan about their beliefs.

Gender dysphoria.

Gender identity disorder is the medical term used to define an individual who suffers feels discontent with the biological sex they were born with. Gender dysphoria can develop in adulthood but can also affect children, as they feel these emotions as early as they can remember. These individuals often want to change their sexuality, and often chose to undergo gender reassignment therapy, usually through hormone replacement therapy or sex reassignment surgery. The exact cause of gender dysphoria is unknown and is a subject which is not widely reported in the UK.

There are many subcategories of people who have gender dysphoria, including transsexuals and transgenders.

Transsexualism is very different to transvesticism, although the two are often confused. Those who assume a transsexual identity have the desire to be the opposite sex. Transvestites on the other hand often do not wish to be identified as the other sex, nor become the opposite sex, but simply wear what they want, thus excluding the possibility of gender dysphoria.

Those diagnosed with gender dysphoria often do not regard their behaviours as a disorder. One reason for this being the negative connotations associated with the word disorder. The also raise the question of what a 'normal' gender role is, arguing that these 'normal' characteristics are merely a social construct.

Pole reversal:

This event happens around 4 or 5 times every million years and is simply the reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles. Ultimately, the north pole would become the south pole, and vice versa. Scientists have predicted that the next magnetic reversal is due to happen in the year 2012, creating yet more anxiety about what this even may hold for the future of humanity.

Asteroid collision:

Over the years there have been many claims and reports that a giant asteroid may cross paths with the earth in 2012. The result of such an event would lead to the extinction of the human race, similar to the popular theory of the reason dinosaurs became extinct.

Worldwide tsunamis:

One other belief is that the earth will be faced with a mass of tsunamis occurring at similar times throughout the world. There are beliefs that these tsunamis may be the result of an aforementioned asteroid collision, earthquakes or other tectonic plate movements.

Nuclear War (wwIII)

Some individuals believe 2012 holds a new world war. Due to advances in technology, this war would not be one fought in battles but would be the result of nuclear weaponry. The events of Hiroshima show the devastation caused by nuclear missiles, but just imagine what effects would be seen if this were to happen all across the world. This is just one of the reasons some people fear the future of humanity.

Existing documentaries:

Patrick Geryl, a Belgian astronomer and author conducted research into the possibility of the end of the world in 2012. He is one of many people who have now dedicated their lives to ways the earth may change, and stresses the importance that everyone should be preparing for numerous disasters in 2012. His status is highly regarded and he is the leader of the European 2012 movement, whose beliefs are simply that those who do not belong to the movement have no chance of survival come 2012.

Waar de Wereld Omdraait.

This documentary takes the expository form and features many interviews with Patrick Geryl, allowing him to explain his beliefs and see into his ideas. He outlines the necessary precautions people should take to outlive the events of 2012. We also observe another documentary on Patrick Geryl within the film, which Geryl quickly criticises claiming that the way the filmmaker organised sequences simply created a sensational story, rather than providing the audience with the necessary survival information.

Books:

Patrick Geryl has written many books outlining what he believes will happen on December 21st 2012. His main aim is to warn people of the impending danger and make them realise what the future may hold.

http://www.howtosurvive2012.com/ - This is a site constructed by Patrick Geryl and contains various links to his books, possible 2012 events and personal contact links.

Online contacts:

http://www.timeline2012.net/ - Just one of the many groups dedicated to explaining the challenges people believe we will be faced with in 2012.

http://www.2012connect.com/group/2012ukgroup - This site in particular attracted my attention as there was a page specifically for UK 2012 believers to post. This would be very useful in terms of contacting interviewees, as we would not have to travel abroad to discover what they believe.

Such an unexplored topic would provide plenty of subject matter to explore . It would also mean a large majority of the audience would be finding out new information and be taken to a place they would not normally go, one of the criteria for a successful documentary.

When creating this documentary the best way to captivate the audience would be to observe an individual with gender dysphoria and follow them on their personal journey. The documentary would likely take the observational and expository mode, with the possibility of elements of a performative and reflexive documentary.

Existing documentaries:

Age 8 and wanting a sex change:

This documentary was aired as part of Channel 4's Bodyshock series. It explores how children as young as 8 years of age can experience gender dysphoria. This documentary incorporates still images combined with moving image to tell the story of a group of children in the US who have been living their lives as the opposite sex. It showing the effects it can have on their daily routine, outlining the possibilites of gender reassignment therapy and how this choice may change their lives in the future.

This documentary takes the observational and expository mode, with the presence of an offscreen Voice of God narrator.

Watch the full episode here - http://www.channel4.com/programmes/bodyshock/episode-guide/series-18/episode-1

Books:

In this book by Janice Hillier, Heather Wood and Winfred Bolton, further depth into gender dysphoria is explained. It outlines the early signs, describing what parents usually notice in their child's behaviour.

It also explains that gender dysphoria can affect a person both mentally and physically, straining their emotions to the limits.

Online contacts:

http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/ - This site is run by a self help support group, offering assistance for cross-dressers and transvestites. I personally felt that this site would be a useful contact as the company is based in London, an easily reachable location.

http://www.trans-mission.org/ - A London based nightclub which provided a venue for transvestites to socialise. Although this club no longer runs regular events, it is still possible to contact the owner of the site. This could be a vital link between our group and any possible interviewees that may be willing to participate in our documentary.