It is not a widely held dogma that nuclear power is the answer to the worldwide energy crisis. But this is precisely the argument that drives Pandora’s Promise, a new film by environmentalist and former anti-nuclear champion Robert Stone. His latest project stands in stark contrast to his first film, the 1988 Oscar-nominated Radio Bikini, which puts a negative spin on the aftermath of nuclear weapons tests in the mid-1940s. But Stone is very upfront about the existential shift he experienced over the last 25 years, a shift supported throughout the film by several leaders in the nascent pro-nuclear movement in the US. The film takes us to a post-tsunami Fukushima and other nuclear disaster sites with a dosimeter, comparing their levels of radiation to naturally occurring levels of radiation in bustling cities worldwide. Making the case that improved infrastructure will lead to a stable future in nuclear power, Stone’s film takes an unpopular opinion and makes it more digestible.
Pandora's Promise screened Wednesday, October 30 at the Landmark in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Director Robert Stone spoke with KCRW’s Matt Holzman -- who admits he is staunchly in the anti-nuclear camp -- about the wide range of support he's received from those who have seen his latest film.
Watch below:
You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.
Learn more about the other docs set to play in the IDA Documentary Screening Series