The documentary Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory tells the story of how the United States secretly manufactured thousands of atomic weapons in the suburbs of Denver, leaving behind a toxic legacy that will persist for generations. Colorado’s Rocky Flats plant produced 70 thousand atomic bombs, each serving as a “trigger” for thermonuclear warheads.

Concealed by government secrecy, the plant’s fires, leaks, and illicit dumping of nuclear waste contaminated the Denver area with long-lived radioactive toxins. A major plutonium fire sparked a decade of mass protests, culminating in an FBI raid that ultimately shuttered the plant. According to the documentary, the radioactive legacy of Rocky Flats continues to threaten public health as of 2024, yet surprisingly few people are aware the plant ever existed. Through testimonials and archival media, Half-Life of Memory exposes Rocky Flats’ dark past and enduring impact, prompting critical reflection on the implications of the nation’s renewed nuclear weapons buildup.

Written and directed by Jeff Gipe, Half-Life of Memory: America’s Forgotten Atomic Bomb Factory was produced by Gipe and his Half-Life Productions and Dan de Jesus via DanDJLab. The subjects profiled and interviewed throughout the documentary include Judy Padilla, Jon Lipsky, Wes McKinley, Dr. Mark Johnson, Tiffany Hansen, Shaunessy McNeely-Kieng, David Lucas, David Abelson, Scott Surovchak, Judy Danielson, Elena Klaver, Chet Tchozewski, Roy Young, Jim Gipe, Carol Jensen, Garth Gibbons, Marianne Webb, Brittany Kelly, David Wood, an anonymous Nuclear Physicist, Marc Williams, Mary Harlow, and Hannah Nordhaus.

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