SOS: The San Onofre Syndrome
| SOS: The San Onofre Syndrome | |
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Mary Beth Brangan |
| Cinematography | James Heddle |
| Edited by | Morgan Peterson |
| Music by | Christopher Hedge |
| Animation by | TheBureau.tv |
Production company | Ecological Options Network |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
SOS - The San Onofre Syndrome: Nuclear Power’s Legacy is a documentary film that reveals the significant potential health risks and environmental consequences from the millions of pounds of harmful radioactive waste placed at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station only 108 feet from the rising ocean that could affect present and future generations. Mismanagement of toxic long-lived radioactive waste is a syndrome shared by many nuclear reactor sites in the United States and beyond.[1] It was directed by James Heddle, Mary Beth Brangan, and Morgan Peterson.
The film has earned recognition at several prestigious cinema festivals. It received the Grand Jury Award for Documentary Feature at the 2023 Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles, California,[2] as well as the Best Educational Documentary Award at the 2024 International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro.
Synopsis
[edit]SOS: The San Onofre Syndrome delves into the efforts of Southern California residents to address safety concerns from worried whistleblowers about the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station deteriorating condition until its final shutdown in 2013.[3] And the subsequent realization of a new threat: the presence of vast quantities of nuclear waste stored by the sea next to crumbling bluffs, with radioactivity that will persist for millions of years. SOS is an urgent call to raise awareness of this global problem and points to current best practices for waste management. Filmed over 12 years, the documentary investigates public concerns and community opposition to the nuclear station through interviews with residents, activists, engineers, and nuclear energy experts.[4]
The film documents Prime Minister Naoto Kan's visit on June 4th, 2013 to San Diego to participate in a panel entitled “Fukushima: Ongoing Lessons for California” next to Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman Gregory Jaczko, former NRC Commissioner Peter A. Bradford, and nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, where they discussed nuclear power's risks.[5] The producer Mary Beth Brangan stated in an interview that the Fukushima accident catalyzed her and her life partner James Heddle into the making of this film.[6]
Awards
[edit]The documentary has been recognized at several international film festivals and has received awards for its impact and social awareness. Notable awards include:
- 2023 - Grand Jury Award For Documentary Feature at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.[7] [8]
- 2024 - Best Educational Documentary Award at the International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [9]
- 2024 - Outstanding Excellence Award for Best Documentary at the Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival.[10]
- 2024 - Outstanding Excellence Award (Environmental) at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival.[11]
- 2024 - Best Actuality Subject In a Documentary at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival. [12] [13]
Featured cast
[edit]The following individuals were featured in the film: [14]
- Gary and Laurie Headrick. Co-founders of San Clemente Green. [15]
- Donna Gilmore. Founder of San Onofre Safety.[16]
- Karen Hadden. Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition (SEED).[17]
- Rose Gardner. Co-founder of the Alliance for Environmental Strategies. [18]
- Gregory Jaczko. Nuclear Regulatory Commission former chairman.[19]
- S. David Freeman (1926-2020). Presidential Advisor on energy policy. Freeman headed several public utilities companies, most notably the New York Power Authority, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.[20]
- Deanna Polk. Emergency response professional.
- Torgen Johnson. Urban Planner and principal architect at Johnson Design.
- Dan Hirsch. Founder of Committee to Bridge the Gap.[21]
- Gordon Edwards (activist). Nuclear consultant, and president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.[22]
- Naoto Kan. Japan's Former Prime Minister during the Fukushima Tsunami.
- Arnie Gundersen. Consulting Nuclear Engineer.
- Dr. Tom English. President of the Earth Restoration Team.[23]
Reception
[edit]Professor Robert Jacobs, author of “Nuclear Bodies: The Global Hibakusha”,[24] remarks that “San Onofre Syndrome is a powerful film that guides the viewer through critical issues, and how people grapple with them. It is especially deft at moving from the immediacy of the issues facing the health and well-being of those living near the San Onofre nuclear plant, to integrating this struggle into the larger, structural issues facing all human beings and our need to caretake future generations.”[25]
Former Director of the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), David Lochbaum, stated about the San Onofre nuclear plant documentary: "The documentary is awesome. I hope you know me well enough to realize that I'm not one to provide gratuitous compliments or give points for just showing up. I honestly found the documentary to be one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of watching on the topic of nuclear power safety."[26]
"Mesmerizing and infuriating. This is a great background to get City Councils to watch, and even better to get them to watch it at a town hall meeting. Although it focuses on San Onofre, it would be just as compelling for communities near any nuclear power plant, or even not near!", claimed Harvey Liss from CalSafe Nuclear Waste Storage Plan Act Advocates.[27]
Writer Katie Singer analyses this documentary in an article, extracting the essence from its 97 minutes: “Hearing Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan during the Fukushima meltdown, state that he’s changed his mind about nuclear power 180 degrees dazzled me. [...] The film shows one ordinary person after another respond with integrity to this insane situation that we did not create. Generously, these people share what they’ve learned, name questions and options—and spread courage." Singer describes it as an "extraordinary documentary".[28]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ https://latinolosangeles.com/people-power-on-nuclear-alley-65184
- ^ https://awarenessfestival.org/2023-winners-annouced/
- ^ https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2024/07/25/state-lawmakers-continue-calls-for-feds-to-move-san-onofres-nuclear-waste
- ^ https://sanonofresyndrome.com/thefilm
- ^ https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2013/06/04/lessons-fukushima
- ^ https://nuclearhotseat.com/podcast/nh-640-sos-san-onofre-syndrome-film-a-knockout-directors-mary-beth-brangan-jim-heddle/
- ^ https://awarenessfestival.org/2023-winners-annouced/
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0003162/2023/1?ref_=ttawd_ev_1
- ^ https://uraniumfilmfestival.org/en/rio-2024-award-winners
- ^ https://docswithoutbordersfilmfest.com/WINNERS/DWBFFSpring2024WINNERS.html
- ^ https://www.nwbiff.com/WINNERS/NWBIFF_Winners_Spring_2024.html
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0003648/2024/1
- ^ https://nonviolentfilmfestival.wordpress.com/2024/10/08/awards-2024-full-list/
- ^ https://sanonofresyndrome.com/featured-cast
- ^ https://sanclementegreen.org/
- ^ https://sanonofresafety.org/about/
- ^ https://www.cowater.com/en/project/sustainable-energy-and-economic-development-project-seed/
- ^ https://nmpoliticalreport.com/news/forever-deadly-state-officials-communities-scramble-to-fight-a-proposal-to-house-high-level-nuclear-waste-in-new-mexico/
- ^ https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc.html
- ^ https://www.sdavidfreeman.com/
- ^ https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/
- ^ https://www.ccnr.org/
- ^ https://www.earthrestorationteam.com/about-5
- ^ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert-Jacobs-4
- ^ https://sanonofresyndrome.com/testimonials
- ^ https://sanonofresyndrome.com/testimonials
- ^ https://sanonofresyndrome.com/testimonials
- ^ https://katiesinger.substack.com/p/sanonofre
- 2023 films
- Documentary films about nuclear technology
- American documentary films
- Films shot in California
- American educational films
- English-language documentary films
- Nuclear power plants in California
- Former nuclear power stations in the United States
- Anti-nuclear protests in the United States
- Environmental issues in California
- Buildings and structures in San Diego County, California
- History of San Diego County, California
- 2013 disestablishments in California
- Former power stations in California
- Nuclear energy
- Nuclear power
- Nuclear energy in the United States
- Nuclear power in the United States
- Anti–nuclear power activists
- Nuclear engineers
- Nuclear reactors
- Nuclear power stations in North America
- Nuclear energy policy
- Non-renewable resource companies established in 1968