War and Peace

The rise of nuclear nationalism in 1990s India is explored in a powerful and personal documentary from Anand Patwardhan.

Under the right-wing BJP party, India saw a rise of nuclear nationalism during the 1990s. Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan set out to understand this phenomenon, attending pro-escalation rallies, travelling to America, Japan, and Pakistan, posing questions, engaging with citizens, and debating figures at all levels of power, while examining deep-rooted issues of national and religious identity.

Filmed over four turbulent years and linked to a renewed appreciation of Gandhi’s pacifist philosophies, War & Peace is an epic yet deeply personal monument to principled dissent and a sobering warning about the potential dangers of militarism, nationalism, and nuclear technologies.