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Atomic Cover Up

Atomic Cover-Up is the first documentary to explore the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the unique perspective of the camera crews who risked their lives filming in the irradiated aftermath. Initially started by a Japanese newsreel crew, and then continued under the supervision of the US Army, this documentary reveals how their footage was seized, classified top secret, and then buried by American officials for decades in order to hide the full human cost of the bombings as a costly nuclear arms race began.

In the immediate aftermath of Hiroshima's bombing, cameramen and producers of Nippon Eigasha, a Japanese newsreel company, began filming the decimation as they recognized the urgency of making a record of what happened, while not yet understanding the dangers of nuclear radiation. Extensively filming both the destruction and the survivors of the bomb, their activities were first impeded by the Imperial Army, who thought the footage would devastate public morale. After the Japanese surrender, they resumed filming in black and white for one month until being detained by members of the US army police, part of the Allied forces' occupation of Japan under General Douglas MacArthur. The Japanese filmmakers were eventually allowed to continue filming under the supervision of an American army team as a supplement to American footage being shot in color by Lt. Daniel McGovern and his US Army crew.

After filming was completed, US forces confiscated the Japanese footage which was sent to America and labeled top secret. The color footage was also buried. In America, attempts were made to make this footage available to the public, who had only seen images from Hiroshima and Nagasaki depicting landscapes of rubble devoid of any of the human victims. But the footage would remain classified for decades. Little of it has been seen by the public, until now.

Based entirely on the first-hand accounts of these key members of both the Japanese and American film crews and featuring the first vivid 4K transfers of their largely previously unseen footage, Atomic Cover-Up is an essential resource for understanding the US' activities in Japan and the effects of nuclear weapons. Together with the long-hidden records which document the official suppression of the footage, this wealth of vital materials has been carefully assembled for haunting effect and maximum relevance for today as nuclear dangers reach intensity and official "cover-ups" expand.

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Distributor: The Video Project

Length: 52 minutes

Date: 2021

Genre: Expository

Language: English

Grade: Grade 11 and up

Color/BW:  Color / Black and White

Closed Captioning: Available

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