#nom documentary

The Day After Trinity (1981). Scientists and witnesses involved in the creation and testing of the first ever atomic bomb reflect on the Manhattan project and its fascinating leader, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who upon completion of his wonderful and horrible invention became a powerful spokesperson against the nuclear arms race.

A pretty solid documentary that looks at the man behind a terrible invention. The strength of this is really in the interviews with the people who knew and worked with him, and it’s exploration of the toll his creation had on both him and the world. Insightful and compelling, but not quite as nuanced I think as it maybe wanted to be. 7.5/10.

Going the Distance (1979). A documentary about the XI Commonwealth Games, held in Canada in 1978.

This is a solid little documentary following a bunch of different athletes across a bunch of different sports as they prepare for the Commonwealth Games. It’s well-shot, and provides a fun insight into the preparation process and the endurance needed, but I do wish we got a bit more of a sense of who they were as people. 7/10.

Genocide(1982). Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor compassionately narrate this harrowing documentary about Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany, which soon turned into a notoriously industrious plan to wipe them from existence.

A profoundly affecting documentary that gives the survivors of the Holocaust a voice and real empathy in the process. It’s harrowing, and not an easy watch, but it does feel like an important one too. 8/10.