Southern Utahans featured in Downwind documentary premiering at Slamdance Film Festival

ST. GEORGE — Preventing future radioactive testing and humanizing those who suffered are showcased in the documentary “Downwind.”

The documentary premiers exclusively at the Slamdance Film Festival and is one of 34 films showing Jan. 20-26 in Park City, Utah.

Slamdance is an alternative to the Sundance Film Festival, also happening in the mountain town at the same time. Both festivals scrapped in-person events in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. “Downwind” will have a one-time-only World Premiere Spotlight Screening and panel discussion Monday, Jan. 23.

“We have to make sure we’re holding our government accountable for what’s happening,” director Mark Shapiro told St. George News. “While we love living here in the U.S., there still needs to be accountability.” 

While researching a 1950s film, Shapiro and Douglas Brian Miller, co-director and director of photography, were drawn to the health consequences of nuclear testing. They noticed many of the cast and crew of “The Conqueror,” starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward, developed cancer. The director’s research showed that 41% of the 220 film crew members developed cancer during their lifetime, and 21% died from it.

The film was produced in the St. George area, 134 miles from the Nevada Test Site, now called the Nevada National Security Site, while these tests were being conducted. At the time, the federal government reassured residents the bomb tests posed no health hazard. 

Actor Martin Sheen, center, is arrested during a protest near a nuclear-weapons test facility in Nevada in 1988 and he narrates the documentary “Downwind,” which premieres at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival in Park City in January, unspecified location and date | Photo courtesy of BacklotDocs, St. George, Utah

Shapiro said the site had over 900 nuclear detonations from 1951 to 1992 near Las Vegas. These included the 100 atmospheric tests that residents of Southern Utah could see. He said research on the film showed St. George has above-average rates of radioactivity compared with the nationwide average. 

Miller said the film is timely because what is happening isn’t “something that’s a one-and-done.” For example, he said there are pockets of radioactive fallout worldwide.

“This affects our DNA; this has been pushed through generations,” Miller said. “So while it may not have affected you personally if the government restarts the testing and you happen to be in an area that is in the path of the tests, you, your kids, or your kids’ kids can be affected. I think personally that is what changes the game.”

Shapiro noted that any time there is a nuclear disaster at plants like Fukushima, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the radioactive material circulates worldwide. Shapiro is concerned about lawmakers talking about future atomic testing.

“Some people, including some politicians in Utah, have talked about the importance of resumption of testing,” Shapiro. “They have their reasons for wanting to test. But we feel like we’re giving information in our film that testing is probably not something we want to engage in.”

Southern Utah and Nevada communities were heavily affected by the fallout of the nuclear testing. Shapiro said government officials labeled the area as a “low-use segment of the population,” which included Native Americans, Latter-day Saints and other rural residents. 

The testing site is on Shoshone Nation’s tribal sacred land and the U.S. government separates the area from the tribe, Shapiro said. The film includes interviews with members of the Shoshone Nation, whose land, despite a treaty, continues as a nuclear test site.

The directors desire to bring awareness to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. People exposed to nuclear blasts may qualify for a one-time lump sum of $50,000. But Shapiro said only three states and remote counties are eligible.

Actor Martin Sheen narrates the movie, and his lifetime of activism includes getting arrested for protesting nuclear testing in Nevada. Also appearing in the film are actor-producer Michael Douglas, comedian Lewis Black and actor Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne. Actor Matthew Modine is the executive producer of the film.  

Shapiro said the film “Downwind” also has a message of activism.

“We pinch ourselves with the folks that we got in this film. Every one of them is an extremely important part of America’s patriotism activist angle that we hoped to convey,” Shapiro said. “We really wanted to get the spokespeople from those worlds.”

“Downwind” is receiving some attention from distributors, Shapiro said. The directors hope the film will continue to show at festivals so that the people in the film can attend the panels and give insight into their experiences.

A panel will discuss the film at Slamdance Monday, Jan. 23, at 11:15 a.m., with the screening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. followed by Q&A at the  Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street, Park City, Utah.

Miller added that the people they interviewed who were affected by the nuclear testing for the movie left a lasting impact on the directors. 

“We hope we can change lives with this film because I feel like they changed ours,” Miller said.

For more information, visit their website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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