Encounters: Netflix documentary exploring alien contact - where to watch, who features and what is it about

A new Netflix documentary is exploring other-wordly phenomena as it explores the true stories of people who have encountered the unknown. 

Encounters, which was released on Netflix on 7 September, is a four-part documentary delving into the world of alien contact. 

But who features in it and what is each episode about? Here is what you need to know.

What is Encounters about? 

Split into four parts, the documentary will look into four stories of unexplained sightings and contacts around the world. They cover areas such as mysterious sightings in Texas to an alien interference with a Japanese nuclear power plant.

The official synopsis reads: “Each cinematic and deeply-researched episode tells a single story: strange lights in the sky over small-town Texas; submersible space crafts haunting a coastal Welsh village; an alien encounter with schoolchildren in Zimbabwe; non-human intelligence reportedly interfering with a nuclear power plant in Japan.

“As told from the perspective of firsthand experiences – in the places where the sightings occurred – and guided by cutting-edge scientists and military personnel, the series goes beyond the science to highlight the profoundly human impact of these encounters on lives, families, and communities."

What are the episodes about?

The titles are in chronological order, with the first episode being set in 1977, Wales. 

It follows the account of a group of boys who spotted a cigar-shaped spacecraft rising from the trees. The Welsh coastal town of Broad Haven then reported over 450 sightings of UFO and alien encounters – the largest mass sighting in UK history.

Episode two takes place in Zimbabwe in 1994 when 62 children saw spaceships and humanoid figures in the playground. The fallout affected the lives of the children, the headmistress and the Harvard psychiatrist who came to investigate. 

Episode three takes place in 2008, when residents of Stephenville, Texas experience a mass UFO sighting, which includes local business leaders and law enforcement.

Viewers will then be transported to the Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan in 2011 to hear about the monk who saw a UFO just before an earthquake. The earthquake then sparked a tsunami that set off the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. 

Who features in Encounters?

People featured in Encounters include: 

• Dr. Kevin Knuth, astrophysicist and former NASA research scientist
• David Clarke, investigative journalist and educator
• Ralph Blumenthal, reporter for The New York Times and The Believer author
• Tony Cowan, former RAF officer
• Eric MacLeish, attorney
• Matthew Roberts, naval intelligence cryptologist
• Sara Vanden Berge, former managing editor for the Stephenville Empire-Tribune
• Lee Roy Gaitan, a constable in Erath County, Texas
• Robert Powell, nanotechnology engineer and co-founder of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies
• Dave Davis, former student in Broad Haven
• Shaun Garrison, former student in Broad Haven
• Mark Morston, former student in Broad Haven
• Francine Granville, the daughter of Broad Haven hotel owner Rose Granville
• Emma Kristiansen, former student of Ariel Primary School
• Tapfu, former student of Ariel Primary School
• Kudzanai Munya, former student of Ariel Primary School
• Lisil, former student of Ariel Primary School
• Steve, owner of a trucking company
• Pat Leatherwood, a bank chairman
• Keisuke Udagawa, newspaper editor
• Tomonori Izumi, the 29th chief monk of Enmyoin Temple
• Jiyo Sakuma, visual artist
• Dr Jensine Andresen, scholar and author
• Miho Ninagawar, drama teacher

Encounters is now available to stream on Netflix now.