The Albuquerque Museum will present two screenings of "First We Bombed New Mexico," a new award-winning documentary by Lois Lipman about the Tularosa Basin Downwinders. The screenings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16 in the Ventana Salon. The film is being shown in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibition "Nuclear Communities of the Southwest" and recognizes the 79th anniversary of the Trinity Test.

Fueled by activist and cancer survivor Tina Cordova, Lipman’s film serves as a call to action. It tells the story of the Trinity Test, the world's first nuclear bomb that was secretly detonated near White Sands one month before Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, effectively ending World War II.

Known as downwinders, residents lived as close as 12 miles from Oppenheimer’s bomb and suffered nuclear fallout without warning. Their water and land were poisoned, leading to multigenerational cancers that persist today. This film documents their efforts to expand the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which ended in June 2024.

Filmmaker Lois Lipman states, “I am making this film to witness the people’s narrative for voices not yet heard. We must not let the US Government’s scientific achievements and military might be the only picture in the history of Trinity… [It is a story of] environmental racism and a prevailing attitude towards people of color who were once considered ‘unsophisticated, uneducated, and unable to speak up for themselves’.”

The documentary has been selling out festival screenings across the country, winning awards, receiving standing ovations, and electrifying audiences.

"I offer my endorsement of the documentary film 'First We Bombed New Mexico,' by Producer/Director Lois Lipman. This film highlights a story wholly unknown to the vast majority of Americans – or the world, for that matter – yet one whose aftermath haunts us today," said Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico.

“By hearing these stories, we honor our complex past and recognize truths that should never be forgotten," stated Mayor Tim Keller. "The Albuquerque Museum continues to fulfill its mission of giving us these special opportunities to learn and be inspired."

“A counterpoint to Christopher Nolan’s biopic about one man’s race to become Death, Lois Lipman’s 'First We Bombed New Mexico' captures the real-life counter crusade of one of Oppenheimer’s countless unsung American victims,” commented Oscar Rodriguez from Austin Chronicle.

Admission to both screenings is free; however, tickets should be reserved at https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/albuquerque-museum/events.

About Filmmaker Lois Lipman:

Lois Lipman is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker who field produced 24 stories around the world for CBS News' "60 Minutes." Her exposé "Til Death Do Us Part – Dowry Deaths in India" was awarded Best Documentary by American Women in Film and Television and led to system changes in India; her film about BBC Radio won an Emmy. Lipman also field-produced a Peabody Award-winning film about Arthur Mitchell and Dance Theatre Harlem for "60 Minutes" in Spain and NYC. While based in London, she produced hour-long documentaries for BBC, Channel 4-UK, PBS in Cuba, Guantanamo Bay Gaza Israel India Dominican Republic among other locations.

Official film website: FirstWeBombedNewMexico.com