Building Bombs is a 1990 American documentary film produced and directed by Mark Mori and Susan J. Robinson.

Building Bombs
Film poster
Directed byMark Mori
Susan J. Robinson
Produced byMark Mori
Susan J. Robinson[1]
Narrated byJane Alexander
Distributed byVideo Project[2]
Release date
  • April 16, 1990 (1990-04-16)[3]
Running time
54 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Summary

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Building Bombs revisits the "glory days" of the atomic age, its legacy of nuclear weapons waste, and its troubling questions still unanswered. Insider stories and rare archival footage reveal the inner workings of one of the world’s largest nuclear bomb plants and its toll on the environment and human hearts. The film focused on environmental contamination and radiation safety issues at the Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina in the United States.

Of historical interest, the film sparked a movement by ordinary people and rock stars, and contributed to a change in U.S. national policy regarding which federal government department exercised oversight of workers' and surrounding communities' health through health studies.

In 1993, Building Bombs: The Legacy was released on PBS' POV. This edited version was 10 minutes shorter than the original film. Segments removed covered reasons for the nuclear buildup that were a subtext in the original release.[4]

Accolades

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It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[5] The film was restored by the Academy Film Archive in 2024.[6]

References

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  1. ^ 1991|Oscars.org
  2. ^ Nichols, Peter M. (March 10, 1991). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/VIDEO: FAST FORWARD; How to Move A Documentary". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  3. ^ 1990-04-16_16_12.pdf
  4. ^ Michaelson, JUDITH (August 10, 1993). "PBS Finally to Air 'Building Bombs' : Television: Controversial show about the fallout from building hydrogen bombs has been delayed for years--and edited-- but basic points remain, producer says".
  5. ^ "NY Times: Building Bombs". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  6. ^ "Rio 2024 Award Winners | International Uranium Film Festival". uraniumfilmfestival.org. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
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