CHERNOBYL: THE LOST TAPES

CHERNOBYL: THE LOST TAPES – 90 MIN FEATURE - TOP HAT / SKY DOCUMENTARIES – DIRECTOR – JAMES JONES

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (1x90”)

NOMINATED FOR SINGLE DOCUMENTARY AT THE BAFTA TV AWARDS 2022

Directed by Emmy Award winner James Jones, Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes tells the story of Chernobyl through newly discovered archive footage filmed at the nuclear plant during the disaster and newly recorded, deeply personal interviews of those who were there. This gripping film tells the story of the disaster and its consequences entirely through extraordinary archive, shot at great risk in the weeks after the accident by a handful of cameramen given access to the plant. From a ten-year-old schoolboy to a Russian general, we see how events at Chernobyl transformed the lives of millions of people.

Their memories of that fateful night and the aftermath are haunting but also deeply humane. The film shows how Chernobyl and the cover-up that followed sparked unprecedented distrust in the authorities, which would eventually lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

For thirty-five years the story of what happened in April 1986, when the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant melted down, has enthralled and horrified. Radio programmes and scripted dramas have all told their version of events and it’s clear an enduring fascination exists for the human tragedy and broader significance of this nuclear disaster. But there has not been a documentary that tells the full true story of this cataclysmic, world-changing event in such remarkable close-up detail – until now. The extraordinary archive was shot at great risk in the hours, days, weeks and months after the accident by a handful of cameramen positioned inside of the plant. These cameramen lived side by side with the ‘liquidators’ who went to incredible and often fatal lengths to try to prevent another explosion. The reality of their bravery and sacrifice is more harrowing than any drama can portray.

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes is produced by Top Hat in association with Sky Studios.

The Sky Original documentary has been commissioned by Zai Bennett, Sky’s Managing Director of Content and Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual.