Featuring a special introduction by Myrocia Watamaniuk, Senior International Programmer, Hot Docs Festival. While this film is presented free of charge, please consider a donation to the BCU Foundation's Friends of Ukraine Defense Forces Fund. Read Hot Docs' statement on Ukraine.

“It has never been more urgent for the world to see Ukraine, to believe the atrocities currently being inflicted on the nation and its people. This wasn't possible in Chernobyl 36 years ago, and incredibly some people around the world still turn away or are prevented from bearing witness to the truth today. Remarkably, Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes premiered just two days after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and seized control of the nuclear site again. The timing of this chilling exposé cannot be overlooked—the regime is at work again, injustice is already happening, and it is imperative that we, the international community, see and believe it this time.   This new documentary retells the story of the world’s worst nuclear disaster through newly discovered footage filmed by the USSR itself in real time. From the moment the reactor alarm sounded, Soviets recorded the fire, the victims, and the literal cover-up in scrupulous detail. The radiation itself appears, having burnt white flashes into the film. The State thought it was recording a great victory. They hid it all, until now. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker James Jones tracks down never-before-seen images and shines light directly onto those who kept the world in the dark and the horrors suffered in the shadows.” - Myrocia Watamaniuk