Downwind

When testing a new technology, one might realistically think that its creators should be able to evaluate its effectiveness after a reasonable number of evaluations, such as, say, several dozen trial runs. But, if that's genuinely the case, then why did it take American nuclear weapons developers 928 tests to do figure out that their devices indeed worked? That's not an unreasonable question, but it's one of many such issues raised in this often-shocking documentary from directors Douglas Brian Miller and Mark Shapiro. According to the film, between 1951 and 1992, the US government detonated 100 aboveground and 828 underground nuclear weapons at the Nevada Nuclear Testing Grounds, with fallout from these blasts spreading downwind from the detonation site (and not just in the immediate vicinity). This relentless onslaught of tests thus earned the US the dubious distinction of having experienced the heaviest bombardment of atomic devices on the planet. This weapons research subsequently affected a wide range of the population, from resident Native Americans to Hollywood movie crews working in nearby desert filming locales to average citizens far removed from the site of the explosions, nearly all of whom were disparagingly and uncaringly looked upon as expendable "for the sake of national security." The resulting widespread environmental damage and devastating public health effects are still being felt to this day, ramifications that are likely to be around for many, many years to come. And, to add insult to injury, through a carefully orchestrated campaign of propaganda and disinformation, the public has been misled for decades regarding the severity of this calamity. The film details all of these issues, both on the macro level and in a variety of personal case studies, through a variety of recent interviews and a wealth of archive material (including a number of now-laughable government-sponsored films), all narrated by actor Martin Sheen. While the contents of a few of this documentary's segments could have been a little better organized, the magnitude of these troubling revelations is quite astounding, particularly in terms of how much this story has been downplayed and the extent of lies that have been systemically perpetrated over the years. And don't become complacent in thinking that this is all in the past: The film reveals that present-day proponents of this type of testing would like to see the current moratorium against them ended in favor of a new round of experiments. And, if that's not unsettling enough to get our attention, I don't know what is. Do watch this.

This insightful documentary claims that although the US nuclear testing program began in earnest during the 1950s, subsequent governments knew what they were secretly doing in Mercury, Nevada was dangerous all along. The most alarming part of the story is that a total of eight presidential administrations from 1951 to 1992 knowingly lied, assuring citizens living across four states (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California) they would be kept safe. For bringing this subject into clear view, this film is an essential testament... a cautionary tale about how a government can fail to protect its own people.

I heard about this doc because I follow Matthew Modine on Social media. Apparently he is a Social Media "influencer" for this feature documentary that attempts to look at the fallout from more than 900 bomb tests conducted in Nevada.

People that are 'downwind' from the tests are potentially affected by the radiation from these tests and nuclear testing is bad are sort of the main points this doc tries to make which I could have just said myself without watching this 90 plus minutes of fairly bland long winded interviews that fail to make any convincing arguments or new insights. No real scientific evidence either, just a bunch of people complaining and drawing inferences.

The doc seems to lack a proper direction and the writing or I guess the editing is just half baked - I am not sure how doc writing works, maybe it is more the editing .

It appears that the filmmakers think they could ride on the importance of Nuclear Testing in a post "Oppenheimer" world and ride on the influence of some old celebs in the film who are vaguely connected to Nuclear tests.

The music is pretty cool and it makes you feel like you are watching something real, perhaps temporarily distracting you from the lack of focus in this 90 plus minute.

I liked some of the shots too and the old archives are always nice to watch but in the end this seems half baked and lacking in direction, vision or any real argument.

Go watch "The Day After Trinity" or the PBS Downwind doc which do a better job if this topic interests you.

This is a huge deal. There are so many possible implications of the info in this documentary. I knew that some testing took place, but had NO idea it was done on this scale. There needs to be a huge national dialogue about this. Our country has already survives nuclear war several times over by our govt's own hands. I had to turn this film off and take a break part way through because I was so devastated. The info in this documentary is of vital importance to every American.

Scientists need to be studying the continuing effects of these tests. PLEASE watch this documentary. People need to know about this.

The film introduces us to some fascinating characters who've been pushed into activism by circumstances, i.e. The shameful and secret atomic bomb testing in Nevada, over 900 tests!!! The people who lived in the are and downwind were not warned nor taken care of. The tests poisoned the water, air and the people living there. The suffering of these people is terrible and the compensation minimal.

The interviews are informative and moving. The interviewers obviously developed excellent rapport with them to receive such heartfelt and honest testimony. The vintage film clips and stills are quite wonderful too. There is a lot of information but the best part is the people and their stories.

It's a story all Americans should see.