Goetschel's inventive use of narrative to describe human rights violations in Ozersk and the exploitation of its citizens is singularly successful in describing the reach of the Russian nuclear machine and the affect it has in very human terms. Choosing to put a face - intelligent, courageous - on the nuclear culture of City 40 is perhaps the only way which those of us not directly impacted can relate to an unimaginable covenant. The film classically exposes the deal that has been struck, trading health and freedom for dying and imprisonment, and demands a response from its audience. It artfully raises the question of what would be worth the sacrifice of your life? Your children's lives? Your freedom? Your children's freedom? Beautifully shot, with a score subtle and evocative, City 40 is both a history lesson and a warning about our future.
