or: Looking for reflections in the toxic field of plenty

"Where the sandy beach of the Salton Sea, the biggest lake in California, begins to crunch harder, it does not even consist of sand any more: Millions of dead fish, plants and insects pile up on the shore to form a highly toxic substance. This is how Derek explains it, a member of a Cahuilla tribe that managed to escape an attempted genocide in the 19th century to the Salton Sea and now sees itself as a protective force for the once flourishing but increasingly deserted area and its outcasts. Derek is one of the many locals whose trails Lukas Marxt and Vanja Smiljanić calmly follow, gliding with them through the desolate landscapes. In the process, they pick up slivers of nuclear history time and again: During the Second World War, the area was a test site for the bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The experiments continued through the Cold War; the armed forces are still training here. The film finds its starting point and end two states away: The nuclear devices were sent on their way from Wendover, Utah. The local Airfield Museum pays tribute to their development. Once, the camera performs an almost weightless dance around a model of the Hiroshima bomb “Little Boy” on display there, to the sounds of the indestructible World War classic “We’ll Meet Again.”" - DOK Leipzig

-- Dir. Lukas Marxt, Vanja Smiljanić - 85min - 2024 - Austria, Germany --

"The culmination of a seven-year research project, Lukas Marxt and Vanja Smiljanić’s striking, exhaustive film examines the lasting impact of 20th-century military projects on the US landscape.....Testimonials from various interviewees are dextrously entwined with poetic shots of shifting landscapes, which range from closeups of environmental ruins to bird’s-eye views of arid soil. This interplay transforms these images into depositories of oral histories and lived experiences; these stories of exploitation, loss and Indigenous pain might not find a home in the official records, but they live on in this passionate documentary." - Guardian

"a cinematic exploration that rounds up a seven-year-long research of the Salton Sea – the largest lake in California that is on the verge of ecological collapse, and the resilient community struggling to survive within this dystopian reality." - Ann Arbor Film Festival, Winner - "It’s a good idea not to blow people up with nuclear bombs" - Jury Award

"“Recalling works by Harun Farocki and James Benning....examines how the events of the 20th century have left an indelible mark on the landscape." - Viennale

"In this terminal landscape, the film reflects on the interconnected histories of war, extraction, and environmental collapse across the American West......Delving into the question of who holds the right to narrate history, the film juxtaposes the narratives of those who have traditionally held power to shape history with the voices of tribal communities whose stories have been systematically erased over time, as well as other marginalized communities whose right to speak up has been taken away." - Union Docs