Private Project

First We Bombed New Mexico - The Aftermath

First We Bombed New Mexico - The Aftermath is the story of Trinity, the world’s first nuclear bomb, detonated in New Mexico one month before Hiroshima, and the US government's betrayal as it secretly bombed its own citizens. Thousands of New Mexicans, mostly Hispanic and Native American, were exposed to catastrophic levels of radioactive fallout. They were never warned, never acknowledged and never helped as generations of cancers followed.

At the center of the film is Latina cancer survivor and businesswoman, Tina Cordova, who leads a grassroots fight for justice for the largely Hispanic and Native Downwinder communities of southern New Mexico affected by the bombing. Following Tina and the Downwinders for a decade, an early release of the film transformed a hidden tragedy into a national issue. The film not only galvanized public pressure, but also contributed to Congress’s 2025 expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include billions of dollars in compensation for the descendants of these New Mexico Downwinders and Native victims. This newly released updated film not only recounts the story of the original, but celebrates the subjects' emotional victory over the US government. Ending on a high note as hundreds of glowing farolitos light up the desert night to the soulful music of Paul Pino, giving voice and dignity to communities that refuse to be erased.

  • Lois Lipman
    Director
    A Place to Belong
  • Joel Marcus
    Writer
    As I am The Life & Times of DJAM, Bad Reputation, 72, Music is my life, Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
  • Lois Lipman
    Writer
  • Lois Lipman
    Producer
    60 Minutes, Field Producer
  • Tina Cordova
    Key Cast
  • Paul Pino
    Key Cast
  • Doug Blush, ACE
    Executive Producer
    Elephant Whisperer, The Hunting Ground, The Invisible War
  • Joel Marcus
    Editor
    As I am the Life and Times of DJAM, Bad Reputation, Music is my life, Joseph Shabalala & Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    investigative journalism, social justice, women's film, environmental discrimination and nuclear colonialism, some verite
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 5, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    800,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Multi-Format
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Seeking
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Lois Lipman

Lois Lipman is an Emmy award-winning career documentary filmmaker who field produced 24 stories around the world for CBS News “60 Minutes”. Her expose “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 including first arrests. Her film about BBC Radio 4 won an Emmy. Lois field produced 60 Minutes Peabody Award winning story: "Arthur Mitchell & Dance Theatre Harlem: From Harlem to the Barcelona Opera House". While based in London, Lois later field produced documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4- UK, ITV and PBS in Cuba, Guantanamo Bay, Gaza, Israel, India, the Dominican Republic, Europe and countries in between.

Earning her MFA with a fellowship from American University in DC, Lois won her department’s Capstone Award. She received her BA from University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and taught at Universities of Maryland and Toledo.

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Director Statement

I was astonished to discover the untold tragedy of the Trinity Bomb, that communities mere miles from the world’s first nuclear explosion were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation and not evacuated. For 79 years, the government denied harm and blocked help for those affected. This propelled me to investigate further.

After meeting the formidable Tina Cordova and the courageous women in her coalition who asked me to help amplify their voices, I was inspired to bring this story to light.

I made this film as a witness to the people’s narrative and to the voices not yet heard. We must not let the US Government’s scientific achievements and military might be the only version of the history of Trinity.

As filming progressed, I came to realize that this story has far wider implications: that of environmental racism and a prevailing attitude towards people of color who were once considered “unsophisticated, uneducated and unable to speak up for themselves.”

By shining a light on this tragic story, I am thrilled to say that the affected communities have begun to get the recognition and justice they deserve. In 2025, the New Mexico Downwinders were finally written into RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) that provides partial reparations for communities that paid the ultimate price with their land, water, and bodies for America’s nuclear policy.

The Front-line Coalition’s efforts illustrate a powerful story about persevering in a dark time, fighting for one's true history, engaging in the political process, and believing in oneself and each other.

Against the odds…

We stand on a nuclear precipice and Los Alamos National Lab is now modernizing plutonium pit production. Testing will follow. This is our world's nuclear origin story. As a New Mexican who loves my state, her beauty and diverse cultures, I have felt a grave responsibility to tell this story and to use my craft to make a difference.