Earlier this week I included The Fever of ‘57 on my list of SIFF recommendations. [mb] The movie captured my attention because I happened to hear about it just after having a conversation with one friend about how another friend had written in her blog about our fears of nuclear war back in the 1980s. Even though I knew about the Cuban Missile Crisis from history class, it never dawned on me to consider that previous generations had their own nuclear nightmares. Now that I’ve stopped to think about it, I’m curious to know more, so I’m looking forward to seeing the film on Friday at 7 pm. (It also plays Sunday at 11 am; Friday at SIFF Cinema, Sunday at the Neptune.

Director David Hoffman (who will be on hand at both screenings) was kind enough to answer a few questions about the film:

MB: What was the initial spark that inspired this movie? How do you decide “I want to make a documentary about fifty-year old fears of technology?”
DH: I lived through it. I heard what everybody always said. Sputnik was the first man-made thing in space and sparked the space race. I knew there had to be more. Paul Dickson’s great book “Sputnik: The Shock of the Century” got me started. The story seemed so relevant to the present. It helped me and my colleagues to understand present day decisions and the lack thereof and seemed to parallel what we are dealing with now. So I committed to make the film knowing it was risky since there have been no documentary movies like this before.

MB: What was the most challenging part of compiling the documentary? How easy or difficult was it to get your hands on archival footage or to arrange interviews with people whose stories were integral to the film’s story?
DH: I couldn’t have made this movie if I hadn’t been collecting this footage for over 25 years. I made the six-part PBS series “Making Sense of the Sixties” and the four-part series “MoonShot.” “Sixties” had a first hour completely on the 1950s. Finding the archival footage was nearly impossible. Much of it has never been seen before, and the Air and Space Museum archivist told me that they had not seen most of what I present in “The Fever of ‘57.” The interviews were a snap. Everybody wanted to tell their part to the story. The story I am telling is about Sputnik and what happened as a result. It is the “what happened as a result” that everybody wants to talk about, as people feel it is important to consider today in light of American and world events.

MB: From the absolute start–the film’s conception–to the end–the film’s completion–how long did it take to make “The Fever of ‘57″?
DH: It took one year and two months. The first period of time I worked early in the morning and on weekends because I did not have investors. Once I got investors, I could build my small creative team and commit the time. I couldn’t have done this kind of research without the Internet, and especially eBay, where some of the never before seen footage comes from.

MB: Is there a message to the film? What do you hope that viewers will take from the experience of watching it?
DH: Yes there is. First, this movie teaches us that enemies must talk to one another. The Cold War was such a threatening time. It could have exploded into global thermonuclear war and World War III. It didn’t because two leaders had the courage and the confidence to talk straight in public and in private about the issues that mattered. The second lesson is that nuclear weapons were and are an enormous threat in the world. Nuclear proliferation continues. It is downright terrifying and “The Fever of ‘57″ presents this in ways that might give some sleepless nights.

MB: What are your future film plans?
DH: I am committed to feature-length movies done with real people about real stories. Currently, these kinds of films are growing in popularity with audiences in the United States and around the world. It is a thrilling time. And being a member of the 60s generation, I tend to be most interested in the life and times that I lived. So I’m focused on several other profound experiences that I feel have been underappreciated and would make for dramatic stories moviegoers would love to see.

Related posts:

1. SIFF notes: The Fever of ‘57
2. SIFF Cinema returns with "My Winnipeg"
3. Seattle Celeb Fever!
4. SIFF Recommendations: June 2 - June 5
5. International Fest of Cinema and Technology this weekend