FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 6, 2026
Earlier this year, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight — the closest it has ever been to midnight — underscoring the heightened risk of global catastrophe.
A new short documentary featuring renowned whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg will premiere free online on Thursday, June 4, offering a powerful wake-up call about the imperative to prevent nuclear war.
An Ordinary Insanity is a 28-minute film in which Ellsberg describes the planetary threat posed by nuclear weapons and advocates concrete steps to dramatically reduce the risk of global annihilation. Before releasing the top-secret Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War, Ellsberg served as a nuclear war planner with access to extensive classified information on U.S. nuclear strategy.
Filmed by Oscar-nominated director Judith Ehrlich one year before his death at age 92, Ellsberg speaks with clarity and urgency about the dangers we face. “A threat and a readiness and a preparation and a rehearsal of causing nuclear winter and destroying
most large life on Earth, that is insane,” Ellsberg says. “You have to call it a kind of ‘ordinary insanity’ because it’s so widely shared.”
With the recent end of the New START treaty raising concerns about a renewed arms race, and ongoing global conflicts heightening tensions, An Ordinary Insanity arrives at a critical moment. The film aims to mobilize broad public concern and inspire action for arms control and nuclear disarmament.
The documentary was selected for screening at six international film festivals and premiered at the United Nations Association Film Festival, where it was praised as “a short film that will shock you and inspire hope.”
The free online premiere will take place on Thursday, June 4, at 5:00 PM PDT and will include a panel featuring director Judith Ehrlich, Ellsberg family members, and nuclear weapons experts (to be announced).
Following the premiere, the film will be available free to view online and for public screenings, conferences, classrooms, and house parties.
To learn more and register for the online premiere, visit www.anordinaryinsanity.com.