If ever there was a film that documented the horrors of nuclear weapons "The Battle Of Chernobyl" is surely it. What makes this film so potent are the images: photos yes, but also a surprising number of retro news and secret camera footage from the nuclear power plant site and surrounding area, as the catastrophe unfolded in April of 1986, in Ukraine.One of the most haunting components here is the story of Pripyat, a bustling city of almost fifty thousand people in 1986; everyone had to be evacuated. And none of the residents ever returned to live there; the structures remain, but Pripyat is now a ghost town, as are hundreds of small villages in the region, thirty years after the nuclear explosion.One of the big problems with radioactive material is that not only can it be lethal to humans, but it is also invisible, and it remains for a very long time. This film documents the government's secrecy and lies in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and in later years, and then the denial that now exists among people living in Ukraine and neighboring Belarus that bore the brunt of the radiation fallout.In addition to the images, a narrator (Tim Birkett) describes the events; interviews include comments by Gorbachev and Hans Blix, along with Soviet technical experts and medical personnel that dealt firsthand with the disaster.The Chernobyl apocalypse continues ten years after this film was released. People in Ukraine and Belarus, and even in parts of Western Europe, are still exposed to some radiation. Mercifully, in November, 2016, a giant arched shelter, decades in the making, was slid into place over the original, hastily built, cement and steel sarcophagus, to more adequately contain the still leaking radiation at the plant site.Yet, for several hundreds more years at least, a one thousand square mile area surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant will be off-limits to human habitation, a no-mans land of invisible but deadly radioactivity.

I loved the drama and emotive delivery by Tim Birkett, and the script was worthy of Hollywood's finest. What is conveniently glossed over is why the CIA/Mossad agents planted a mini-nuke at Chernobyl to destabilize Russia's on-going collaboration with France to develop their nuclear power program; after all, everyone knows that the low levels of U235 enrichment used in power stations are unable to cause the degree of super-criticality needed in a fission bomb. It was also interesting to learn that "thousands" had died in the immediate aftermath, but that the identities of these people was not acknowledged by the Soviet authorities; perhaps these people didn't really exist... Still, why let the real truth get in the way of a great story.

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I can't believe it has only one review. Trust me, this is absolutely a must see. especially for new generations. They need to understand what we risked with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster! The whole Europe could have become inhabitable! The documentary contains rare original footage, and interviews with the people were there in the days of the disaster. The people that contribute, with their heroic sacrifices, to avoid the worst human catastrophe in our history. Absolutely terrifying to discover what we risked, and the fact that, at the times (I live in Italy) we were told almost nothing about the true risks.

the battle of Chernobyl is about the worst nuclear disaster in the history which effected 9 million lives till date. i am kind of astounded, this movie not even have a single review. the movie contains rare original footage, pictures and some good re- enactments. it is kind of hard to believe what happened in reality because the destruction caused by the radioactivity is enormous. most of the story is forgotten and new generations around the world are not even aware of this disaster.this catastrophe almost crippled the entire country(Ukraine).interview of political leaders,scientists,soldiers,journalist,photographer and several military personnel and real footage of damaged rector makes it not less than a horror movie and the truth becomes more lucid. a mind blowing piece of work,this movie packs a horrifying and emotional punch that you will never forget. so, just do yourself a favor and watch this documentary. this is a must watch.