If You Love This Planet (1982)

An Australian pediatrician gives a speech on the consequences of a nuclear war.

Director:

Terre Nash (as Terri Nash)

Stars:

Helen Caldicott, Vannevar Bush, Winston Churchill

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Credited cast:
Helen Caldicott	...	Herself (as Dr. Helen Caldicott)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vannevar Bush	...	Himself - In front of map of Japan (archive footage)
Winston Churchill	...	Himself (archive footage)
Leslie Groves	...	Himself - In front of map of Japan (archive footage)
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Franklin D. Roosevelt	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Tolman	...	Himself - In front of map of Japan (archive footage)
Harry S. Truman	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

Australian pediatrician Helen Caldicott delivers a lecture on the potential medical and societal consequences of a nuclear war, and advocates for nuclear disarmament. The film includes newsreel records of the beginnings of the arms race and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as film records showing the Japanese who were severely scarred and burned in the bombings.

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Plot Keywords:

nuclear disarmament | medical | lecture | arms race | nuclear war | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Short

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 1985 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Dr. Helen Caldicott on Nuclear War.

Filming Locations:

State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

26 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was labeled "foreign political propaganda" by the United States' Justice Department in an attempt to limit its distribution. All distributors who sold a copy were required to give the purchaser's name to the Justice Department. This may have had the opposite effect from the suppression desired by the Reagan administration, as the negative label caused a rallying of support around the film from anti-censorship activists. During her Oscar acceptance speech director Terre Nash thanked the US Justice Department for their effective "advertisement" of her film.

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Connections

Features Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter (1943)

User Reviews

First showing in Britain?

I understand the 1st British showing of this film was at the RENOIR London WC1 on the 13th April 2008.It is remarkable that it won an "Oscar"The film is short and to the point and I found it very moving even though it was made over 25 years ago,the use of historical film is well done and includes some of President Ragan when he was a film actor during W.W.11,the faces of the young people listening are priceless.Through out Dr.Helen Caldicott put across the truth about the use of Nuclear Weapons and using drawings at the end is very powerful.Well worth seeing but please remember there is sad and moving film of people damaged by Nuclear Weapons.