The upcoming film "Oppenheimer" by Christopher Nolan has faced criticism for not acknowledging the local impacts of the Manhattan Project in New Mexico. Tina Cordova, founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, has attempted to contact Nolan's team to ensure that the film acknowledges the displacement, employment, and radiation exposure experienced by local New Mexicans during the project. Olivia Fermi, granddaughter of physicist Enrico Fermi, who worked on the Manhattan Project, also tried to reach out to the filmmakers but received no response. The film does not include the stories of the local landowners or workers who were affected by the project. The US government displaced families and offered lower compensation to Hispanic homesteaders compared to other landowners. Congress later established a fund to address this discrepancy. The film also does not depict the residents who lived near the Los Alamos lab and the Trinity test site. The plight of these communities and the lack of warnings or evacuations during the Trinity Test, which exposed locals to radiation, are not explored in the film.
Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:21:00 GMT | Business Insider