
ThefilmfocusesverymuchonthehumansideofChernobyl.ItwasmadebetweenMay28andJune26,1986,andsomepartswereaddedinSeptember1986.Manyofthosefeaturedinthefilmparticipatedfirst-handintheevents.Theemotionalnatureofthefilmisevidentthroughoutanditevokespathoswiththesimpleactionsofuniformedpeasantsreturningtotheircontaminatedfarmsortheargumentsbetweenofficialsattheplant.Otherswerefishinginacontaminatedlake,andinformedtheinterviewerthattheirfathersandgrandfathershadfishedhere,sotheyweregoingtodothesame.Thefilmrevealsthehorrorsoftheaccidentinbringingintorealitythesciencefictionofthepast.IthadamixedreceptonattheWestBerlinfilmfestivalinearlyMarch1987asaresultoftherelativelypoorqualityofthefilming,thoughtheradiationspotsonthefilmitselftosomeonlyaddstothedrama.(ParaphrasedfromMarples,DavidR.(1988).ThesocialimpactoftheChernobyldisaster.Houdmills,UnitedKingdom:Macmillan.Pp.133-134.)