The Bell of Chornobyl (1987)

• 73%
• 1987
• Documentary
• Rollan Serhiyenko

The film focuses very much on the human side of Chernobyl. It was made between May 28 and June 26, 1986, and some parts were added in September 1986. Many of those featured in the film participated first-hand in the events. The emotional nature of the film is evident throughout and it evokes pathos with the simple actions of uniformed peasants returning to their contaminated farms or the arguments between officials at the plant. Others were fishing ina contaminated lake, and informed the interviewer that their fathers and grandfathers had fished here, so they were going to do the same. The film reveals the horrors of the accident in bringing into reality the science fiction of the past. It had a mixed recepton at the West Berlin film festival in early March 1987 as a result of the relatively poor quality of the filming, though the radiation spots on the film itself to some only adds to the drama. (Paraphrased from Marples, David R. (1988). The social impact of the Chernobyl disaster. Houdmills, United Kingdom: Macmillan. Pp. 133-134.