Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island

I learned so much from "Radioactive" about the Three Mile Island disaster. I left the movie with a new perspective on the disaster itself. The film presents information I'd never heard before about the radiation exposure that people experienced. It also sheds light on the government and industry response to the disaster. The film mentions ongoing scientific research into the lasting effects of the exposures, and I am curious to learn more as that research develops. It's a must-see for anyone who remembers Three Mile Island, who lives near a nuclear power plant, or who is interested in nuclear policy.

This movie tells the story of the women who fought back against the official response to the disaster at Three Mile Island. Focusing primarily on the efforts of four women who led the local community's protest, and a fresh-out-of-law-school lawyer who took a lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court, it is both an indictment of the nuclear industry and its regulators and a personal story about real people.

I saw this at a local film festival and was expecting an amateur production or agitprop. But it's anything but. Rather, it is expertly filmed and carefully edited, splicing slice-of-life portraits, interviews with experts, and historical footage. It makes a compelling case that not only was the leak at Three Mile Island a cover-up that led to drastic spikes in cancer rates upwind of the site, but also that the official response to the leak was a travesty of justice against, and a personal tragedy for, the victims of the accident.

But what makes this film so compelling is how human it is. I found myself pulled into the lives of the people in this community, saddened at their tragedy, rooting for them as underdogs, and uplifted by their dogged spirit. The audience around me was rapt, sometimes in tears, and standing in applause at the end.

This brilliant movie tells the moving story of three women and their communities that were greatly impacted by a horrible nuclear accident. It is masterfully told thru interviews and scenes where the lying and deceit of the industry and politicians attempting to minimize and deny any of the risk can be seen. It unfolds beautifully under the direction of its superb writer and director and it's cinematographer. The three women and the various people in the documentary bring credibility and a humanity to the story. The reality of the horror is brought to life and is frightening

Shouldn't be missed!

I watched this at an environmental film fest. Knowing very little about Three Mile Island, I was disturbed to learn the extent of the failings of the local and federal government and big business. The residents of the community and our entire nation were misled. Telling this story through the eyes and of mothers in the community was effective and sincere. The women brought tears to my eyes but also laughs. You see their stories play out over decades and they are truly heroes and dedicated advocates. There are fascinating science and health concerns raised (I won't spoil them here), but you will walk away from the film with a healthy skepticism of nuclear energy and the protections in place in the United States of America.

This enlightening documentary exposes the political, emotional and physical effects on those living in the vicinity of the 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster. The caring, concern of producer, Professor Heidi Hutner, explains how these four empowered mothers grappled with mis and the lack of information and so become politicized in order protect and preserve the welfare of their families. The facts and legal entanglements of these issues are sincerely recounted by the reporter and lawyers who attempted to uncover the truth. The women in this film speak loud and clear and still the physical effects remain obscured by the nuclear industry. These women's legacy to us, as women, and in fact as humans, is our own mission for today to seek truth about nuclear power, before we too have to deal with the fallout.