B-52 (2001)

Synopsis: B-52 is a detailed historical documentary about the construction and capabilities of the United States Air Force's B-52, the most effective bomber aircraft in American history. German filmmaker... B-52 is a detailed historical documentary about the construction and capabilities of the United States Air Force's B-52, the most effective bomber aircraft in American history. German filmmaker Hartmut Bitomsky (DEUTSCHLAND BILDER) uses voice over narration, interviews, and archival footage to demonstrate how the B-52 is the most frightening tool ever created for mass destruction. B-52 begins in 1947 when the plane was first introduced as a major Cold War weapon. Built for the purpose of dropping nuclear bombs, the B-52's structure can endure the effects of radiation. The film explores the various roles of the plane between the time it was made and the year 2001. Interviews with a variety of unexpected characters shed light on the unique and far-reaching fascination that people have with this extraordinary weapon. An artist in Chicago who makes sculptures from old B-52 parts gives his thoughts on why thrashed and torn metal has a kinetic energy that's far more interesting than smooth, finished metal. A man in a scrap yard filled with the empty lobster shells of B-52s sells the pumps to teenagers to use in the hydraulic systems of their souped-up cars. In addition, the film's reflection on the Eleven-Day War in Vietnam is heartbreaking and astonishing in the way that it conveys the utter mayhem and terror the B-52 inflicted on Hanoi. [More]

Director: Hartmut Bitomsky

Director: Hartmut Bitomsky
Screenwriter: Hartmut Bitomsky
Producer: Hartmut Bitomsky, Albert Schwinges