Tribeca Film Festival 2023: RICHLAND

With the upcoming release of Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer, the premier of Richland at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival feels perfectly timed. Yet, where one expects to embrace the history of Richland and its involvement with the Manhattan Project, audiences are left with a film that barely skims the surface. As you watch the documentary, it begins to feel more and more unfocused, moving quickly from one aspect of Richland to another, never giving its audience a chance to settle in. This was one of the films I was most looking forward to, and sadly, it is the one that disappointed the most.

Lost Direction

Honestly, when I think of the Manhattan Project, it’s the desert, sand, and World War II that comes to mind. I entered into Richland with a limited knowledge of the area or its contribution to the creation of the atomic bomb. While it was Hanford, Washington that created all the plutonium that would make the atomic bomb possible, it was Richland that housed both the scientists and their families. And while it was originally thought to have been a temporary housing situation, the town of Richland has grown into a deeply rooted community, proud of its history and aware of the surroundings created by the Manhattan Project.

Entering into the film with this basic knowledge of both Hanford and the Manhattan Project, I was surprised by how much the film assumed its audience knows. The history of the atomic bomb and the area’s involvement in its creation was touched upon, but glossed over too quickly to truly garner a deeper understanding of its history. Instead, audiences are mostly restricted to a modern-day look at Richland, its community and the stores of plutonium left in the project’s wake.

Too often, Richland feels as though it has no angle, rather just capturing the current state of affairs in Richland today. There was a lot that the film could have harnessed and further dove into – the environmental effect on the area and the community is the most obvious. Richland does acknowledge various aspects, yet refuses to commit. Opening the documentary, audiences are shown the efforts currently being put into place to revitalize the area, indigenous plant life being reintroduced, and the sound of ripping planting cloth mimicking with the haunting effect of a radiation detector. No trespassing signs and the deathly look of the plants surviving the area reinforce the idea of an environmental angle. Yet, just as you begin to settle in, Richland changes direction.

Honestly, based on how Richland started, I was excited to hear about the various restoration projects, as well as the impossibility of recovery for many areas affected by the Manhattan Project. Yet, Richland refuses to stay on one topic, changing so quickly it feels uncommitted and sporadic. It is hard to invest in one thing or the other based on the pace of subject change. And while many issues are alluded to, Richland refuses to explicitly mention and open a platform for discussion. Even as it touches on the bombs that were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Richland continues to feel void of true contemplation

Strong Sense of Community

While the film does not fully lean into the various topics it encompasses, Richland does capture the pride of a community. Potentially off-kilter in its pride to an outsider, the film is cushioned by poetry written about the area by a local artist, with images of street signs reading “nuclear” and “proton” exhibiting how deeply root the town’s history is.

And while the town may come together yearly to celebrate Atomic Founders Day, it does so daily through the school’s youth representation. Richland captures the school and community spirit, the school’s mascot the iconic mushroom cloud, and The Bombers the school’s team name, the town of Richland continues to root for its history through each generation that walks through these halls. And while not all may support the team name, or its mascot, there is a deeply driven sense of community Richland is able to capture.

Conclusion

With the buzz surrounding the hype of the upcoming Oppenheimer, the lackluster representation of Richland weighs heavy. The film is bookended by incredible shots, the opening the revitalization of the area, and the ending of an artistic contemplation of destruction. In these moments, Richland truly leans into the devastating and far-reaching effects of what Richland represents, all while giving a voice to its residents.

Richland premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. 

Watch Richland