2009 November, 7th

Liliana Dumitru-Steffens

The 2005 Census Bureau estimated a city population of 3,590 for Nome, Alaska – a city virtually unknown for travelers around the world before the release of “The Forth Kind,” although it was once the most populous city in the state. The city numbered about 28,000 inhabitants in 1899, an expansion triggered by the Three Lucky Swedes’ discovery of gold in Anvil Creek in 1898. The Gold Rush was one of the most notable events in the life of the small Alaskan city, followed by a diphtheria epidemic in the winter of 1925, when a relay of dog sled teams was organized to deliver a life-saving serum that couldn’t be shipped by airplane because of unfavorable meteorological conditions.

And now The Forth Kind, starring Milla Jovovich is set in Nome, although the presence of trees and other details reveal that it was not filmed here. Although The Forth Kind is responsible for Nome’s moment of fame, CNN reports that the movie is not the kind of publicity desired by the city. Mayor Denise Michels told CNN that town residents have been getting a lot of phone calls from people who believe that the movie pictured actual events.

“Some of the calls I’m just ignoring,” Michels said, “because the issue we had to deal with in real life was very sensitive. The movie is portraying something like the ‘Blair Witch Project,’ and we’re just hoping the message gets out that this is supposed to be for entertainment.”

The film’s trailer states that the story is based on “actual case studies,” but does not specify which cases. Naturally, the viewers assume that the characters are real – and the search for Dr. Abigail Tyler identity brought a boost of PR for the movie as well. Investigation by the Anchorage Daily News found no specific events to back up the claims in the film and also revealed that unsolved deaths in Nome are no more frequent than any other small Alaskan town. In 2005 the FBI looked into about 20 disappearance cases, finding alcohol and frigid temperatures to be causes, but nine bodies were never found and the makers of The Fourth Kind (director Olatunde Osunsanmi) use these disappearances as a starting point for their story, with archived footage to create an atmosphere of documentary realism.

In the end, there viewer is left to decide what to believe. But the “true story” deceptive marketing campaign will not make the movie a hit – some initial reviews describe it as mediocre, with distracting, uninspired and unconvincing performances, etc; while others lob the performances. The movie was also well received by the public, with raving reviews on IMDB: “a powerful film, well executed that it will make you cringe and keep you on the edge of your seat.”

But in my view, the real winner is Nome, the city that will probably become a pilgrimage destination for UFO enthusiasts. A smart move from Mayor Michels now would be to capitalize on this event, and to revive the city’s tourism: welcome travelers and then present the facts, educating them about Nome’s real and interesting history.

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About the Author

Liliana Dumitru-Steffens is public relations consultant for Pamil Visions PR. She writes for Everything PR since January 2009. Previously she worked for My-tronic GmbH and Unilever Romania. Email Liliana at lsteffens [at] pamil-visions [dot] net.

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