City 40

2016
1h 13m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

1.6K

YOUR RATING

Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.

Play trailer2:27

1 Video

26 Photos

News Documentary Drama History War

Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.Behind the walls of a forbidden city, the only thing more dangerous than its secrets is the truth.

Director
- Samira Goetschel
Writers
- Samira Goetschel
- Monique Zavistovski
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

1.6K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Samira Goetschel
Writers
- Samira Goetschel
- Monique Zavistovski
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations

Videos1

Trailer 2:27

Official Trailer

Photos26

Top cast14

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Lavrenti Beria

Self
(archive footage)

Viktor Fetisov

Self - (Director of Mayak Nuclear Plant)
(archive footage)

Mikhail Gorbachev

Self
(archive footage)

Sergei Kirillov

Self - (Local Journalist)

Igor Kurchatov

Self
(archive footage)

Nadezhda Kutepova

Self (human rights lawyer)

Gregory Kuznetsov

Self - (Journalist)

Vladimir Kuznetsov

Self - (member of Russian Atomic Energy Corporation)

Alexander Litvinenko

Self
(archive footage)

Natalia Manzurova

Self (Nuclear scientist)

Vladimir Putin

Self
(archive footage)

Joseph Stalin

Self
(archive footage)
(as Iosif Stalin)

Galina Vasilievna

Self - (Nadezhda's Assistant)

Boris Yeltsin

Self
(archive footage)

Director
- Samira Goetschel
Writers
- Samira Goetschel
- Monique Zavistovski
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
There are a series of intertitles throughout the film which read:
To keep their location hidden from the enemy, Mayak and City 40 were not placed on any map.
"Plutonium Lake" feeds into the Techa River, which is the region's main water source and one of the most contaminated places on Earth.
Half a million people living in the Ozersk region have been exposed to five times the amount of radiation as those affected by Chernobyl.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's secret cities were suddenly recognized as places on the map.
Mayak stores an estimated 50 tons of weapons-grade plutonium and 38 tons of highly enriched uranium.
Since her last interview, Nadezhda Kutepova was interrogated by the Russian secret police under their "foreign agent" law.

Goofs
At around 43:40 into the documentary, the second lake identified as "Lake Irtyash" appears to actually be Lake Karachay (which as of 2017 has been completely filled in). The dump truck dumping shown was likely not dumping solid radioactive waste as implied, but was part of the effort to fill in and cover the lake to prevent radiation from escaping.

Quotes
Nadezhda Kutepova: My name is Nadezhda Kutepova and I'm a native of Ozersk. I was born here. We were told we live in a secret place. There were spies all over, sneaking around, gathering information. My mother used to warn me, 'Darling, never say where you are from or a Black Mariah will takes away and you'll never see your parents again. Let state secrets stay secret.'

Soundtracks
Darker Than Midnight
Music by Michael A. Levine
Lyrics by Michael A. Levine & Marina Verenikina
Performed by Marina Verenikina

User reviews6

Review

Featured review

10/10

Incredible

Everyone should see this film. It's a reminder of how people who live in comfort will turn a blind eye to injustice until they are in a survivalist situation themselves. Extremely eye opening and full of information, history, and heart. The main character was an inspirational figure to follow. After watching, I am in awe, disgust, and also full of hope. Environmental and social justice change is not an option anymore, it's a necessity.