Educational Media Reviews Online

One learns in this film that currently 13,000 nuclear weapons exist globally which could be launched at any time. Although this number is significantly lower than during the height of the Cold War, In Search of Resolution serves as reminder that nuclear war and the deployment of nuclear weapons remain a threat to humanity. This title is the third film of The Nuclear World Project series which also includes the films In My Lifetime and The Nuclear Requiem. It explores the 78-year history of the nuclear arms race and provides poignant images of the destruction caused by the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings in 1945. Viewers learn about and hear from the Hibakusha which is a Japanese word which denotes survivors of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki nuclear bombings. The documentary discusses how the impact of these bombings in Japan influenced diplomacy and nuclear arms policy for decades. During the remaining decades of the twentieth century both politicians and scientists strove to decelerate and regulate the nuclear arms race. Experts interviewed for this film observed that as the 1945 bombings become increasingly a distant memory, the more complacent many world leaders have become towards nuclear weapons.

In Search of Resolution presents current issues related to nuclear weapons and their non-proliferation. This film emphasizes that today’s nuclear arms risks differ greatly from the past and that minimal dialogue exists between nations with nuclear armaments to address potential threats. It includes interviews with a variety of individuals from NGOs, the United Nations, and other organizations who strive to achieve and maintain global nuclear disarmament. These experts note that many present-day governments, often controlled by authoritarian leaders, have no respect for regulating weapons systems or adhering to the agreements reached in the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In today’s world many nations hold conflicting opinions about relinquishing their use of nuclear weapons. The Russian invasion of the Ukraine in 2022 exemplifies the challenges the United Nations and other nuclear disarmament organizations face. This documentary includes footage of the Russian delegation rejecting the resolution created at the conclusion of the NPT Review Conference (Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) held at the UN in August 2022. This scene captures the disheartening lack of progress in creating and maintaining dialogue related to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in recent years.

This documentary is available in DVD or DSL formats and can include limited public performance rights. In Search of Resolution is recommended for upper-level high school classes and college courses such as history, political science, peace and conflict studies, or international law. Although this film provides a sobering perspective on the current state of nuclear non-proliferation, it showcases many students and young adults working to eradicate nuclear weapons. Interviews with members of the UN initiative, Youth4Disarmament, would interest students at both the high school and college level. Their voices offer hope for a future free from the threat of nuclear destruction.

Awards:
Official Selection, Global Peace Film Festival

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