The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium is offering free bus rides to the Las Cruces Film Festival to watch “First We Bombed New Mexico” at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 5.

Paul Pino, board member of the consortium, and personally affected by the radiation, said that he was surprised how much he learned from the film.

“The movie is an amazing teaching tool, it’s heart wrenching, but it’s the first time anything like that has ever been done for us,” Pino said. “I grew up in Carrizozo and never once did I ever hear anybody talk about the boom, they hid it so well. Nobody died from the blast, but a lot of people died of cancer, and nobody put the dots together.”

“Our point is to try to get people from the communities that haven’t been able to see the film. It’s the only showing in New Mexico in the near future and it’s all about New Mexicans, and we know there is a lot of people that have trouble driving long distances or don’t have the money so we wanted to give a free ride,” Pino said.

The bus will be able to seat over 50 people; he said it should be a comfortable ride with a bathroom on board. The transportation is free to those who register, and a ticket, which has to be purchased online to see the film, is about $11.

To reserve your spot and for more information please call Paul at (505) 459-4112. To purchase tickets please visit: www.lascrucesfilmfestival.com

Jessica Carranza | Editor