Towards a beautiful earth protected from nuclear contamination.
From acclaimed Japanese director Hideaki Ito comes the untold stories of the victims of nuclear testing in America—and the account of one mother who risked her career to expose the dangers of radiation poisoning.
In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began on the US mainland. Growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s in suburban Utah, Mary Dickson began noticing her elementary school classmates dying strange and unusual deaths. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in St. Louis, Dr. Louise Reiss began collecting baby teeth from other mothers in her community. Through studying these teeth, Reiss found that American children—not just the so-called “downwinders”—had been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Silent Fallout traces these stories and others, journeying from Salt Lake City, to Virginia, to Missouri, to the United Kingdom, and to Japan, exposing the complicated truth behind the bomb. With narration by Alec Baldwin, this movie is a must-see for anyone who wants to go beyond Oppenheimer and discover a dark period in history whose effects still reverberate today.
Silent Fallout is more than a film. Our team is working hard to spread the word about radiation poisoning and nuclear contamination in the US and beyond—and we need your help to do so. Find out more about our mission here
With Navajos from Red Water Pond Road Community
Dir Ito always stays in the back during screenings
During a film shooting. With Prof. Luke Ritter
In front of the abandoned Uranium Mine, NM
Independent screenings have been held since 2013
Meet the Director
Hideaki Ito
TV + Film Director / Founder of Silent Fallout Project
Born in 1960. In 2000, Ito left his job as a kindergarten teacher to enter the world of television. In 2012 and 2015, he released the movie series X Years Later in theaters. In 2023, he produced the movie Silent Fallout. It was acclaimed at 28 International Film Festivals, including the Hamptons International Film Festival and the St. Louis International Film Festival. He has won Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize or the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, the Japan National Press Club Special Award, the Galaxy Award Grand Prize, and the Japan Commercial Broadcasting Federation Award Grand Prize. He is the author of the book, X Years After Exposure to Radiation (Kodansha).
MISSION
This project aims to address the global concern of radioactive contamination, starting in the United States. This effort is a movement to ensure a healthy and safe planet for future generations.
“60 years ago, women in the U.S. took bold action to protect their children from radiation, preventing catastrophic radioactive contamination across the continental U.S. Had the 828 underground nuclear tests continued above ground, the country could have become an uninhabitable zone.
Their efforts were nothing short of miraculous.
The true goal of every individual and nation should not be national interest or economic growth—it is to safeguard the health and lives of our children. In this mission, there are no racial barriers or borderlines.
I will continue to take action to ensure we leave behind a safe and secure planet for future generations, well into the 22nd century.”
—Hideaki Ito, Director
THREE PILARS OF OUR MISSION
ONE:
Raising Awareness of Radioactive Contamination Through Film Screenings Across North America
We conduct annual screening tours to reveal the hidden dangers of radioactive contamination in the Americas, urging the public to understand the risks to their health and lives caused by nuclear weapons.
TWO:
Urging the U.S. Congress to Reignite the Nuclear Debate
We call on the U.S. Congress to address the nuclear issue, fostering democratic debate and rethinking the consequences of nuclear weapons.
THREE:
Advocating for Radioactive Pollution to be Prioritized in the SDGs
We will have radioactive pollution, which is more urgent than the CO2 issue, recognized and authorized as a key issue in the SDGs.