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A re-edited and re-released version of the feature documentary “First We Bombed New Mexico” will be screened in Las Cruces Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theater on Main St. The film earned numerous awards throughout the 2024 festival circuit, including best documentary at the 2024 Las Cruces International Film Festival.
It follows cancer survivor Tina Cordova on her decades-long quest to secure recognition and compensation for New Mexican residents harmed by the world’s first atomic bomb test in 1945. Its screenings throughout 2024 and 2025 sparked standing ovations, added screenings, various awards, and deeply emotional responses nationwide.
The documentary features intimate interviews with affected families, congressional hearings, and Cordova’s relentless advocacy that helped build national momentum to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to support New Mexican “Downwinders.”
After 80 years of waiting, this victory was achieved on July 4, 2025. The plight of Downwinders also received statewide recognition when legislators unanimously voted to install a permanent historic marker at the Stallion Gate entrance to the Trinity Site on July 16, the 80th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test.
In response to these victories, award–winning director Lois Lipman shot new footage and is re-editing her film to achieve a more complete narrative arc. Lipman, whose three-decade career includes producing for 60 Minutes and earning Emmy and Peabody honors, underscores the urgency.
“The updated film stands as both a testament to grassroots activism and a call to action for continued environmental justice,” Lipman said. “As Downwinders begin the compensation process, New Mexican communities continue to face generational health impacts, and global nuclear instability, once again, looms.”
A question & answer session following the film will include discussion of eligibility and how to apply for RECA benefits ($100,000 per application). Many residents of Dona Ana County are eligible to apply. This screening is free, but those interested in attending are urged to RSVP since seats are limited to less than 400. RSVP to Steve Duffy at steveduffy1111@gmail.com.
