Disarmament in Review
Director Robert Frye introduces his documentary film, The Nuclear Requiem
A documentary film series on nuclear disarmament was hosted in October by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). The three films screened as part of the series provided thought-provoking reflections and complemented the ongoing General Assembly First Committee discussions.
The first film, The Nuclear Requiem, is a documentary directed by Robert Frye that creates a narrative reflecting the ongoing struggle of dealing with the most lethal weapon ever invented, the nuclear weapon. Weaving music, interviews and footage showing the fallout of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki and bombings, this film poses hard questions to the audience regarding the future of nuclear weapons and the role they play in the modern world.
UN Staff, NGO representatives and International Delegation members watch Lynette Wallworth’s film Collisions
Robert Kenner’s documentary Command and Control examines a past accident in the United States involving the explosion of a ballistic missile carrying the most powerful nuclear warhead. Based upon the best-selling book by Eric Schlosser, the film highlights the events that led to the missile explosion and shows a preliminary glimpse of the consequences that can incur when the weapons built to protect citizens, actually threaten to destroy them.
Lynette Wallworth’s documentary, Collisions, is a virtual reality journey to the land of indigenous elder Nyarri Morgan and the Martu tribe in the Western Australian desert. During the film, the audience accompanies Nyarri in his recollection of the first contact between his traditional world and the destructive nature of nuclear technology during the 1950’s. The film concludes by Nyarri and the Martu tribe offering their perspective on caring for the planet for future generations.
All three outstanding films were well received by the diverse audiences. NGO representatives, diplomats and the general public all praised the provocative nature of the documentaries, as these films reinvigorated the desire by all stakeholders to resolve one of the most important global security challenges.
Text by Edward Hainsworth
