London - A seven-hour silent screening of a gentle train journey through Norway is hardly a prospect to set the pulse racing.
And that is precisely how British Airways wants it. For, according to the airline, a calming alternative is missing among the choice of 130 movies, 650 TV shows, 550 music albums and 228 radio shows it normally offers long-haul passengers.
While for many travellers, an extended flight is a guilt-free opportunity to catch up on the latest blockbusters, BA believes the likes of a silent film of a snow-covered train journey from Bergen to Oslo will be a hit.
Dubbed Slow TV, the choice was inspired in part by the slow-moving in-flight screenings of a jet’s progress across a map. The film, unsurprisingly titled The Seven Hour Train Journey to Oslo, uses a camera on the front of a train, and shows its journey through stations, past lakes and snow-capped mountains.
It has become a cult hit in Norway, attracting more than a million viewers. Highlights include children waving from stations, changing weather, and stretches of darkness as the train passes through tunnels. BA said it would trial the train journey before expanding to other ‘slow’ programmes.
Next in line will be a film showing the process of knitting a jumper – from the shearing of sheep to the finished product.
Richard D’Cruze of BA said: “There’s definitely a hypnotic, calming quality to Slow TV that is perfect for in-flight entertainment.” - Daily Mail