Forest Whitaker Joins Rachid Bouchareb’s ‘Boomerang Atomic’ As EP Ahead Of DOC NYC Screening
Forest Whitaker has joined Rachid Bouchareb’s documentary *Boomerang Atomic* as an executive producer ahead of its November screening at DOC NYC. The film examines the long-term human and environmental consequences of France’s first atomic test in Algeria, drawing attention to a history shaped by colonial rule and often overlooked beyond the region.
The test took place near Reggane on 13 February 1960, while Algeria was under French colonial rule; the bomb was four times more powerful than the one used on Hiroshima. Bouchareb’s short documentary relies solely on French state archive footage and commentary, without modern narration. It premiered at Venice in 2025 and won the audience award at the 2026 Seoul International Eco Film Festival; a related feature, *Reggane*, is in development.
In short
- Forest Whitaker joins *Boomerang Atomic* as executive producer.
- The film revisits France’s 1960 nuclear test in Algeria.
- The Reggane bomb was four times more powerful than Hiroshima’s.
Explained simply
France’s first nuclear test took place near Reggane in the Algerian Sahara on 13 February 1960, during French colonial rule. The explosion was four times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Rachid Bouchareb’s short documentary uses French state archive footage and commentary to examine the test’s lasting effects on people and the environment. Its subject connects Algeria’s colonial history with the longer-term consequences of nuclear testing, a history that has received less attention outside the region.
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