Aug 6: Countdown to Zero film on nuclear war

The Western Pennsylvania office of PA Zero Nuclear Arms Campaign is screening the documentary Countdown to Zero at 8 p.m. on August 6, the 65th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. There will be a free reception starting at 6:30, a program of speakers and artists at 7:30, and a Q&A following the film.

Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. Countdown to Zero makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and 2009 nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglorious Bastards, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.

6:30: Free Reception

7:30: Program of speakers and artists

8:00: Film Screening

9:30: Q&A with local disarmament experts, featuring Dr. Lincoln Wolfenstein (Professor at CMU and member of the National Academy of Science; Dr. Wolfenstein has been actively working against nuclear weapons for 50 years), Dr. Don McNeill (a plasma physicist, Dr. McNeill has written extensively on nuclear weapons and policy).

At the Harris Theatre, 809 Liberty Avenue; click here for directions.

Adult admission for the screening is $7 at the door. High school and college age youth can get free tickets by registering here.

Sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania office of PA Zero Nuclear Arms Campaign (PAZ)

Made possible by a grant from the Ploughshares Fund

Co-Sponsors:

United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE)

Pittsburgh Iraq Veterans Against the War

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

American Friends Service Committee - PA Program

Erie Peace Initiative

Anti-War Committee of the Thomas Merton Center

Pax Christi

Physicians for Social Responsibility Pittsburgh

Roots of Promise

Green Party

Code Pink Pittsburgh

For more information, contact Jo Schlesinger, the Western PA Coordinator for PAZ; phone: (412) 596-8658, email: joschlesinger@verizon.net