As a New Yorker, post-9/11, we want to believe that we’re safer. We want to think that the heightened presence of armed guards at Grand Central means something. But, it’s the forces we don’t see that should freak us out. Did you know that just 35 miles north of Times Square is an aging nuclear power plant called Indian Point? I sure didn’t. Not scary enough for you? Alright, the government has downgraded evacuation plans since the Fukushima meltdown. Still no? 6% of the country’s population lives with 50 miles of the plant. You cannot outrun radiation.
The plant was built in the 1950’s and has not been sufficiently updated since. This is not a one-off for the plants across the country. Old technology cannot be applied fast enough for the amount of old cores we are storing on site (encased in cement). The volatility of this waste is unbelievable. When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, Fukushima’s waste was jostled enough to cause multiple reactor meltdown, something that the industry claims is impossible in the US. That radiation has traveled across the ocean and is now causing birth defects in California. Indian Point shows this issue from all sides; activists, journalists, plants supervisors, residents, and the former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This is an eye-opening doc about money Vs power. When you get the end of the film, the information provided will downright piss you off more than you ever thought possible. Indian Point should stand as a warning for us all. Complacency is the way we power our planet is no longer an option.
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First Run Features announces the US theatrical premiere of Ivy Meeropol’s documentary INDIAN POINT at The Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York on July 8, 2016, with Los Angeles to follow on July 22, 2016 at Laemmle Music Hall. INDIAN POINT takes an unblinking look at the dramatic debate over nuclear power by going inside the aging plant that looms just 35 miles from New York City. With over 50 million people living in close proximity to the facility, it has stoked a great deal of controversy in the surrounding community, including a vocal anti-nuclear contingent concerned that the kind of disaster that happened at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant could happen here. At the same time, its continued operation has the support of the plant’s operators and the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) as they campaign to relicense Indian Point for another 20 years of operation. INDIAN POINT presents a complex story through the people who are most invested in the nuclear industry—the owners of the plant, the workers at the plant and the activists who want to shut it down. The film begins inside Indian Point with Brian Vangor, senior control room operator and 35-year veteran who says his job is making sure the plant’s workers “get through their shifts unscathed.” We hear from Marilyn Elie, a leader of the anti-Indian Point group IPSEC and her husband Roger Witherspoon, an environmental journalist. We also meet attorney Phillip Musegaas from Riverkeeper in New York who reveals what few people understand—the enormous damage the plant causes to the water that surrounds it. As nuclear disaster struck in Japan, Gregory Jaczko, then Chairman of the NRC, was shaken by the news. INDIAN POINT follows Jaczko to Fukushima as he attempts to understand the tragedy no one in his field thought possible. The debate at the center of INDIAN POINT is more timely now than ever. In February of 2016, news broke that the groundwater below Indian Point had been contaminated with radioactive material, prompting a state investigation. Filmmaker Ivy Meeropol had unprecedented access to the plant at the center of the most contentious relicensing process in the history of the industry. In the brewing fight for clean energy,INDIAN POINT presents a nuanced argument about the issues surrounding nuclear energy and offers a startling reality check for our uncertain nuclear future. Filmmaker Biography Ivy Meeropol is a producer and director of an array of acclaimed documentary feature films and television series. Meeropol recently directed and produced an episode for CNN’s docuseries Death Row Stories, Executive Produced by Alex Gibney and Robert Redford. Her documentary series The Hill premiered on The Sundance Channel in 2006 and received an IDA nomination for best series. In 2007, Meeropol directed the feature documentary All About Abe and in 2003, she produced and directed Heir to An Execution, which had its world premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Academy Award®. She is currently directing and producing for an Emmy® award-winning climate change documentary series on the National Geographic channel. INDIAN POINT |
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“See it if you want to lose sleep.” – Vulture “Must-see.” – New York Post “An effective case study in the long debate over nuclear energy.” “A cautionary tale about a technology once seen as an abundant and non-polluting energy source, but with downsides that could make oil spills and electrical brownouts seem as minor as a fender bender.” “Nuclear power is incredibly efficient… but highly dangerous if anything goes awry. That looming threat of danger pushes at the edges of the film, threatening rupture like a nuclear reactor. Someone needs to ask questions; here they are.” |
The cinematography from Austria’s preeminent DP Martin Gschlacht (Goodnight Mommy, Oscar-nominated Revanch
Will Allen‘s 22 years of footage appear, at first, to resemble a long-lost infomercial from the 80’s. It only takes a few minutes to realize that this is not VHS from our youth but the continuous documenting of a group of people seeking something different. What they ultimately find is a mysterious man who is nothing he claims to be. Utilizing intimate, present-day, sit down interviews with members of Buddhafield combined with Allen’s chronological documentation of the group’s daily activities, HOLY HELL is unlike anything we’ve seen before. To have such unguarded footage and insider knowledge is pretty unprecedented, especially for this length of time. From private therapy sessions to retreats, public outings and the eventual breakdown, each year is more shocking than the last. There are moments that will make you cringe, question your judgement, and certainly, times that will turn your stomach. HOLY HELL is as relevant today as it was when it began its seedling production. It will both open your eyes and terrify you.
Presents
Oliver Thompson‘s duel role as writer and director suits this indie gem to a T. Stylistically vibrant and charming, WELCOME TO HAPPINESS is something akin to ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND in look and quirk factor, but most assuredly has its very own unique voice. The colorful cinematography is a brilliant reflection of each character’s momentary mood. The plot has intrinsically intertwined story lines and is full of surprisingly insightful glee all while tackling the ghost of depression. Thompson has achieved quite the feat, no doubt. 
Almost entirely shot in the woods, our lead character Ann has only her vehicle and two small camps on a lake. Screenwriter David Ebeltoft’s immensely effective script, utilizes intermittent flashbacks to show us how Ann came to be on her own. Once traveling with her husband and infant daughter, the audience must allow themselves to be with Ann in the present in order to feel emotionally connected. She is smart and resilient. She has learned that practicality is the only way to survive. Her newly gained skills sometimes fumble, adding to the realism factor. The minute she allows her emotions to control her path, things are bound to go awry. When Ann stumbles upon Chris and his step-daughter Olivia, her motherly instinct may be her undoing. Two mindsets are at play; Stay put or keep moving. Which would you choose? Blackhurst’s use of nudity is never without purpose. There is no glamour factor here, which is much appreciated in the genre in general. Lucy Walters‘ lead performance is breathtaking. It’s not until the very end that we discover what happened to Ann’s daughter. That particular scene, which we know from the very beginning we’ve been building up to, is one of the most gut-wrenching I’ve seen on film. Maybe it’s the new Mommy hormones, maybe it’s Ebeltoft specifically crafted script, or maybe it’s the perfect storm of the two. I don’t think I have ever wept while watching a horror film until now. In a “what would you do?” scenario from hell, HERE ALONE tears your heart out and challenges how you think you’d react in a doomsday situation. When you’re down to your last bullet, it’s life or death.
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