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Pandora's Promise

Synopsis

The atomic bomb and meltdowns like Fukushima have made nuclear power synonymous with global disaster. But what if we've got nuclear power wrong? An audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, PANDORA'S PROMISE asks whether the one technology we fear most could save our planet from a climate catastrophe, while providing the energy needed to lift billions of people in the developing world out of poverty. In his controversial new film, Stone tells the intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts who have undergone a radical conversion from being fiercely anti to strongly pro-nuclear energy, risking their careers and reputations in the process. Stone exposes this controversy within the environmental movement head-on with stories of defection by heavy weights including Stewart Brand, Richard Rhodes, Gwyneth Cravens, Mark Lynas and Michael Shellenberger.

Undaunted and fearlessly independent, PANDORA'S PROMISE is a landmark work that is forever changing the conversation about the myths and science behind this deeply emotional and polarizing issue.

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The Filmmakers

Robert Stone Director/Producer

Robert Stone is a multi-award-winning, Oscar-nominated and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. Born in England in 1958, he grew up in both Europe and America. After graduating with a degree in history from the University of Wisconsin/Madison, he moved to New York City in 1983 determined to pursue a career in filmmaking. He gained considerable recognition for his first film, "RADIO BIKINI" (1987) which premiered at Sundance and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary. Multi-tasking as a producer, director, writer, co-editor and sometimes cameraman, he has over the last 25 years developed a steady international reputation with a range of unique and critically acclaimed feature-documentaries about American history, pop-culture and the mass media. His more recent and perhaps best-known work includes "GUERRILLA: The Taking of Patty Hearst" (2004), which premiered at Sundance and went on to become one of the most highly acclaimed theatrical documentaries of the year. The was followed by the documentary feature "OSWALD'S GHOST" (2007) for which Stone earned is second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking. Ă‚ His latest film, "EARTH DAYS" premiered as the Closing Night Film at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically by Zeitgeist Films to wide critical acclaim. He continues to create personally crafted high-end documentary films from his home in the Hudson Valley of New York, where he lives with his wife Melissa and their two sons.

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Festivals & Awards

Sundance Film Festival

2013

Official Selection

Sheffield Doc/Fest

2013

Winner - Environmental Award

Reviews

When was the last time you saw a documentary that fundamentally changed the way you think?…PANDORA'S PROMISE is built around looking at an issue not with orthodoxy, but with open eyes. ”

-Entertainment Weekly

Provocative and important... PANDORA'S PROMISE is essential viewing.”

-The New York Times

Utterly convincing”

-Slate

Essential viewing... A full dose of strong opinion - and also some much-needed facts.”

-Newsday

Clear-eyed and balanced... director Robert Stone introduces a cast of unlikely defenders of this awesome source of energy: environmentalists.”

-Scientific American

Controversial... Engaging and well-researched... as nuanced as it is credible.”

-Indiewire

Outreach

Since its release in June 2013, Pandora’s Promise has made a major contribution to changing the narrative around nuclear energy both domestically and internationally. As a passionate environmentalist himself, Director Robert Stone created a film that has turned the tide on a narrative driven for years by misinformation and emotion. Since the film’s release, this narrative has evolved to become a fact-based conversation about the pros and cons of nuclear energy. Groups claiming unverifiable data about the consequences of nuclear energy have quietened their protests. As a result, public discourse on the issue has evolved from a one-sided argument focused on the safety and environmental hazards of nuclear to a debate around the financial viability of investing in nuclear energy.

From a film receiving high praise at Sundance, to an internationally viewed documentary with a roster of influential viewers, Pandora’s Promise has majorly contributed to changing the narrative on nuclear energy and changed the perceptions of many of its audiences. The film has brought to light an issue that had long been discussed behind closed doors.

-- From Mission Measurement’s Report on the impact of PANDORA’S PROMISE

Outreach Resources

Energy for Humanity

EfH is co-founded by PANDORA’S PROMISE director Robert Stone, environmental campaigner Kirsty Gogan and philanthropist Daniel Aegerter. Receiving no corporate backing, we are seeking to provide a resource hub for an emerging global network, and to continue the conversation that PANDORA’S PROMISE started: How do we continue to power modern civilization without destroying it?

+ energyforhumanity.org

Breakthrough Institute

+ thebreakthrough.org

Stewart Brand

+ sb.longnow.org

Mark Lynas

+ marklynas.org