While most people were aware about the devastating atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, less people knew about the continued nuclear testing during the Cold War that occurred on American soil. Downwind shines a light on this in the usual documentary fashion, but it’s an important discussion to have, as the state government deemed nuclear testing in a cheaper place more urgent than the lives of the native Americans living near the plantation, and as the death of one of Hollywood’s leading men unable to even change this. While it was interesting to hear from Hollywood stars, Downwind works best in discussion with the Shoshone Nation, who bore the brunt of the consequences of nuclear fallout.
Synopsis
A documentary about nuclear fallout in the United States, specifically members of the Shoshone Nation whose sacred land continues to be cordoned off as a nuclear test site.
Storyline
After the devastating atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States has continued to study nuclear weapons for decades, testing 928 large-scale weapons in Mercury, Nevada, sacred land owned by the Shoshone Nation.
TLDR
It’s a bit text heavy for a documentary with a narrator, but it’s an important story.
What stands out
Understandably, after Oppenheimer, activists would want to take advantage of the public’s sympathies over the concerns of nuclear testing, but something about the way Downwind was structured makes it feel a tad all over the place.