This Friday’s viewing of the first episode of “Chernobyl,” the HBO dramatized mini-series, was an incredibly interesting and moving experience.  Going into watching this, I had a general idea of what to expect, but was completely surprised by the level of detail in both content and production quality.  While the subject material was very heavy, especially for a Friday night, it was fascinating to learn about this historical event which I had known very little about.  What struck me especially about Chernobyl was how it depicted the political and social context surrounding the event.  The scientists and board members who ran the nuclear plant completely underplayed the situation to both the public and the other people who worked there, which added to the tragedy of this event.  While watching, I couldn’t help but think about how the politics of the USSR affected how the tragedy was handled and if it would have been handled differently if not for the effects of communism.

What made the show so impactful was knowing that this was a real event and knowing how it would end.  The show juxtaposed the destruction and confusion at the nuclear plant with the almost relaxed attitudes of the citizens of Pripyat, the town close to Chernobyl.  It was very stressful to watch how the children danced around when ash fell from the sky, knowing as a viewer that that was really radioactive material.  The show’s creators did a good job of setting the tone of extreme anxiety through dramatic, dark lighting and music and sound effects.

It was interesting as well to see everyone else’s reaction to the first episode and to have a discussion about it.  I enjoyed sharing this experience with other people in Rose, despite it being virtual over Zoom, and look forward to attending future movie nights!