Film Screening: The Man Who Saved the World with follow-up lunch time discussion on Thursday, March 5

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 7:00pm

Radius and MIT Global Zero are proud to announce a film screening of a riveting documentary, The Man Who Saved the World, released in 2014 by Danish director, Peter Anthony. The  film tells the incredible story of Stanislav Petrov, a former lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defense Forces. Robert De Niro, Matt Damon, Ashton Kutcher and Walter Cronkite also appear in the film.

Premiered in October 2014 at the Woodstock Film Festival in Woodstock, New York, the film won "Honorable Mention: Audience Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature" and "Honorable Mention: James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Narrative Feature."  Using both re-enactments and actual footage, the film documents a harrowing moment for humanity.  In 1983, an alarm sounded at a Soviet nuclear center. Lt. Petrov was responsible for responding to an alleged American nuclear missile attack towards the Soviet Union. Petrov, sensing that the alarm was in error, went against all military protocol and decided that it was a false detection. His decision saved the world from a nuclear catastrophe. 

Following the film, we will host a 30 minute panel discussion for questions and comments.  Guest panelists will be announced shortly.  Refreshments will be served.

On Thursday, March 5, we will follow up with a more substantive discussion over lunch in 1-135 from 12:00-1:30pm with Scott Kemp (MIT Nuclear Science and Engineering) and David Wright (Union of Concerned Scientists).  Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to weinmann@mit.edu

Co-Sponsored with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

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