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America’s heartland experienced an unfathomable shock in 1995 as the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed, devastating the lives of countless local families. Nearly three decades on, An American Bombing reopens this painful chapter through sobering archival images and moving testimonies from those forever altered by the tragedy. Beyond dissecting the harrowing details, director Marc Levin casts a critical eye on how domestic terrorism becomes possible, pushing audiences to contemplate how political rifts rip communities apart and what allows hatred to take root.

The documentary begins by taking viewers into the routine morning of Kathy Sanders, whose world was shattered upon learning her two young grandsons were among the 19 children killed at the daycare center. From this gut-wrenching introduction, we then learn the attack was carried out by Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh, who sought retribution against the federal government. Beyond profiling McVeigh’s disturbing actions and mindset,...

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th dispels the lone wolf narrative of McVeigh's crimes, connecting them to larger white supremacist movements in America. Starting with victims like Kathy Sanders, the film portrays the horrific impact of the Oklahoma City bombing, emphasizing the need for understanding. An American Bombing showcases the power of forgiveness in the face of hate, providing a path forward from the darkness of domestic terrorism.

29 years ago, the United States was forever changed by an unconscionable act of homegrown domestic terrorism when Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. The act — which is still the most lethal act of domestic terrorism committed within the US — was born from a list of grievances both real and imagined that McVeigh and many like him had stewed on for years. Given the attack’s horrific outcome, the story of the...