Watch “The Spectacle.”

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The rumbling of a hidden ocean, along a rugged coastline covered by mist. A symphony of insects chirping away in the crisp night air, spiky geologic formations silhouetted against a blanket of stars. Bright hot-air balloons dotting the pale sky over a striated desert. These are some of the striking scenes captured in “The Spectacle,” Yasmin van Dorp’s contemplative documentary short, shot at tourist destinations throughout Europe. The film shows places of uncommon beauty, along with the throngs of visitors who clamber to see them and, crucially, preserve their experiences in photos. On one rocky outcropping surrounded by fog which makes it seem to jut out beyond the edge of the world, a multitude of people chattering and maneuvering for pictures organize themselves into a line—giving each group or person a turn for a snapshot at the cliff’s edge, working together to manufacture the illusion of solitude. Without any commentary, van Dorp’s film offers the opportunity to enjoy some breathtaking scenery but also to ask what we give up when we focus so intently on documenting our time in such special places. How differently might the same vista appear when seen from amid a mob that’s been disgorged from a tour bus, through the rectangle of a cell-phone camera, or, more simply, while on a quiet walk?