COUNTDOWN TO ZERO traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident.

Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including President Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. It makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and current nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.

“GRIPPING. SPINE-TINGLING. It’s the rare piece of political filmmaking that could unite the left and the right. It makes getting rid of nuclear weapons as less a ‘cause’ than an imperative.”

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

“A hair-raising look at nuclear proliferation from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth.”

Anthony Kaufman, Wall Street Journal

“Makes a swift, soberingly urgent case for the comprehensive elimination of nuclear weapons in a world that has gone from Cold War certainties to asymmetrical chaos.”

Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post