City 40 (2016)

Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.

Director:

Samira Goetschel

Writers:

Samira Goetschel, Monique Zavistovski

Stars:

Lavrenti Beria, Viktor Fetisov, Mikhail Gorbachev

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Lavrenti Beria	...	Himself (archive footage)
Viktor Fetisov	...	Himself - (Director of Mayak Nuclear Plant) (archive footage)
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sergei Kirillov	...	Himself - (Local Journalist)
Igor Kurchatov	...	Himself (archive footage)
Nadezhda Kutepova	...	Herself (human rights lawyer)
Gregory Kuznetsov	...	Himself - (Journalist)
Vladimir Kuznetsov	...	Himself - (member of Russian Atomic Energy Corporation)
Alexander Litvinenko	...	Himself (archive footage)
Natalia Manzurova	...	Herself (Nuclear scientist)
Vladimir Putin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Joseph Stalin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Galina Vasilievna	...	Herself - (Nadezhda's Assistant)
Boris Yeltsin	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

Deep in Russia, there is an invisible city that houses thousands of men, women and children who live and work behind double barbed-wire fences monitored by armed guards. They are told that they are the creators of the nuclear shield and saviors of the world. They are told that everyone is an enemy. In this hidden world, a mother risks her life to take us inside Russia's largest nuclear city.

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Taglines:

Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.

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Genres:

Documentary | Drama | History | News | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook official website

Country:

Russia USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

1 September 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Сороковка

Filming Locations:

Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.I.G. Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are a series of intertitles throughout the film which read:

• To keep their location hidden from the enemy, Mayak and City 40 were not placed on any map.
• "Plutonium Lake" feeds into the Techa River, which is the region's main water source and one of the most contaminated places on Earth.
• Half a million people living in the Ozersk region have been exposed to five times the amount of radiation as those affected by Chernobyl.
• After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's secret cities were suddenly recognized as places on the map.
• Mayak stores an estimated 50 tons of weapons-grade plutonium and 38 tons of highly enriched uranium.
• Since her last interview, Nadezhda Kutepova was interrogated by the Russian secret police under their "foreign agent" law.

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Goofs

At around 43:40 into the documentary, the second lake identified as "Lake Irtyash" appears to actually be Lake Karachay (which as of 2017 has been completely filled in). The dump truck dumping shown was likely not dumping solid radioactive waste as implied, but was part of the effort to fill in and cover the lake to prevent radiation from escaping.

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Quotes

Herself (human rights lawyer): My name is Nadezhda Kutepova and I'm a native of Ozersk. I was born here. We were told we live in a secret place. There were spies all over, sneaking around, gathering information. My mother used to warn me, 'Darling, never say where you are from or a Black Mariah will takes away and you'll never see your parents again. Let state secrets stay secret.'

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Soundtracks

Darker Than Midnight
music by Michael A. Levine, lyrics by Michael A. Levine & Marina Verenikina
performed by Marina Verenikina

User Reviews

Incredible

Everyone should see this film. It's a reminder of how people who live in comfort will turn a blind eye to injustice until they are in a survivalist situation themselves. Extremely eye opening and full of information, history, and heart. The main character was an inspirational figure to follow. After watching, I am in awe, disgust, and also full of hope. Environmental and social justice change is not an option anymore, it's a necessity.