Telling the secrets of the nuclear story

Uranium Film Festival - Fukushima Filmmaker Yoko Kumano and festival director

Telling the secrets of the nuclear story by MAHIMA DAYAL, The Sunday Guardian

The Uranium Film Festival was held in Delhi in 2013 to allow audiences to gather a nuanced overview of the global issue of nuclear power generation. The festival intends to use the big screen as a medium to share the story of nuclear power that transcends geographical barriers with more than 30 films by 40 directors.

"Knowing the risks of nuclear power is important for decision making. And films are the best way to bring information to the people", says festival director Norbert G. Suchanek. "There are many important documentaries and movies about nuclear issues that never reach the mass media. Our festival provides these films and filmmakers with an international audience and media attention" he adds. 

For Sri Prakash, Filmmaker & Organiser of the Uranium Film Festival in India, the festival is a "personal journey", which started when he met Norbert in 2006 at Windorah in Navajo. Two of his films on uranium – Buddha Weeps in Jadugoda and Jadugoda – The Black Magic, have been screened at the Uranium Festival. Jadugoda in Jharkhand suffers due to the uranium mining activities that bear heavily on the locals. "Given the recent dissent in areas like Kudankulam, against nuclear plants, I feel that this is the perfect time for bringing this festival here. It is not about the good and the bad, anti or pro. It is not about devising a much divided opinion. It is only about sharing experiences" he says.

This is the only festival in the world which is dedicated to the nuclear fuel chain and grapples with issues from exploration and mining of radioactive minerals like uranium to nuclear energy production, atomic waste, nuclear medicine, atomic bombs, nuclear war, and nuclear or radioactive accidents. Films like Leonid's story or After the day after by Director Rainer Ludwigs uses stop motion and combine photographs and drawings to capture the surreal emotion. Grave issues like radiation, addressed in the festival, use a genre like thriller-comedy in the Swedish film, Coffee-break by Marko Kattilakoski. 

Peace Boat: Introducing the International Uranium Film Festival in New York 2014

This Valentine’s Day, the International Uranium Film Festival attracted many concerned New Yorkers to 6 days of eye-opening films about the devastating impact of the nuclear fuel cycle.  At the Pavilion Theater in Brooklyn, Peace Boat US has been supporting this epoch-making event since its opening on February 14th. Continue reading..

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More information: info@uraniumfilmfestival.org