Amanpour Artists With a Message
Dec 27, 2025
Join filmmaker James Cameron, famed for the Avatar series, as he discusses his haunting new project on nuclear war, emphasizing survivor stories and cinematic responsibility. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz sheds light on nuclear risks and the need for diplomacy. Acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar shares insights on adapting themes of mortality in his film The Room Next Door, using vibrant colors to convey life and dignity. They all explore how art serves as a profound tool for understanding pressing global issues.
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Making Nuclear Horror Visceral
- James Cameron frames nuclear horror through survivors who lived two atomic blasts to make the danger visceral.
- He says truthful cinematic intensity may still fail to capture the real scale, so art must try anyway.
Treat Nuclear Arms As Mass-Destruction
- Ernest Moniz warns that nuclear weapons are not military tools and stresses changing the false narrative that they make us safer.
- He urges serious diplomacy and safeguards to prevent accidents and missteps that could escalate catastrophic outcomes.
A Husband Carrying His Bride's Bones
- James Cameron recounts Kenshi Harata digging through rubble to find his bride's bones and carrying them to Nagasaki before a second blast.
- He describes how that personal tragedy drives his fear and duty to portray the horror accurately on film.