An award winning producer’s film exploring issues surrounding nuclear weapons was previewed in South Wimbledon on Tuesday.
An award-winning film producer’s documentary exploring the reality of nuclear weapons previewed in South Wimbledon on Tuesday.
In My Lifetime by American producer Robert Frye was shown at St Andrew’s Church in Wimbledon.
The free screening was organised by the Wimbledon Disarmament Coalition, the local branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
The documentary is the result of Mr Frye’s personal journey through the issue, examining the creation of the atomic bomb, its use by America on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cold War, and the continued testing of nuclear weapons by countries all over the world.
Debate surrounding the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons is considered, as well as the question of whether atomic warfare can ever be a proportional deterrent.
Mr Frye said he wanted his film to bring humanity to the issue.
He explained: “I want to inform, educate and stir people to action. The film is a morality play which considers a way forward, as well as the telling of a story.
“The nuclear issue is not heavily featured in the media, but it is not a dead issue. It must be resolved as we cannot let it take on a life of its own.”
He added: “The focus should not be on the weapon itself, which is an inanimate object until a human being creates it and then decides to use it against others.
“It is these choices which will determine the fate of human kind.”
The Wimbledon Disarmament Coalition’s Secretary Joanna Bazley commended the film.
She said: “It is not over-the-top propaganda, but a slow and thoughtful piece which explores a complex subject in a subtle way.”
She added: “I joined the CND because I was frightened for the future of my children and I have never found a reason to stop campaigning even though the issue has become unfashionable.
“It is still not on the political agenda prominently enough and the government’s commitment to renewing the Trident programme during such economic times does not make sense.”
