A Short Vision (1956)

This short animated film is Peter and Joan Foldes' second and last film together. Its bleak subject - the end of the world caused by a nuclear apocalypse - reflects a widespread preoccupation in 50s Britain which would soon lead to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

The film is composed mostly of still drawings, creating a terrifying effect amplified by a sombre commentary spoken in the style of the Bible. The film had a very strong impact on audiences, in particular across the Atlantic, where it was shown on primetime television to millions of American viewers and reportedly produced one of the biggest reactions since Orson Welles' 'War of the Worlds' broadcast in 1938. (Christophe Dupin)

To find out more about 'A Short Vision', visit
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/i...

All titles on the BFI Films channel are preserved in the vast collections of the BFI National Archive. To find out more about the Archive visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collect...

• Category

  Film & Animation

[schlupi]

It's absolutely horrifying how undiluted the shadow of nuclear arms remains in our day and age. A very stirring piece, indeed.

[MhicWombat]

shattering ... and still possible  :-(

[legion1a .]

They showed this film on the Ed Sullivan show when I was 7 years old.

In school we had drills, get under your desk and put your head between your knees (a lot of good that would have done)

In those days all that the adults were talking about was the Atomic War that was going to happen "any minute now".

Because of the drills; I was horrified when I saw this animation, and I still remembered the face melting scene to this day.

I was scared, but I got over it (25 years later).

[Вук Дражић]

This animated short looks like 1999 NATO Bombing Of FR Yugoslavia! How about that?

[1220b]

The last few seconds of sound are of a ww2 hand cranked air raid siren winding down ..

[Bren Tenkage]

I need a hug

[mdude009]

Not the point man

[hotelmario510]

Cockroaches die in nuclear wars, too. It's a myth that they can survive.

[mdude009]

One problem with your statement is the "let's kill everyone" part, humans are like cockroches, you can never truly whip us out, nuke the world and we'll survive to kill each other another day.

[John Weller]

What nuclear weapons should be like now is the Queen piece on a chess game. yes you can use it to kill all, but you only have one and when it's gone, you're screwed

[hotelmario510]

Cockroaches die in nuclear explosions, too, you know. The only thing left would be radiation-resistant bacteria, if that.

[hotelmario510]

I'm still furious that we've come to allowing our governments to keep weapons like this. North Korea, Russia, Britain, France, India, Pakistan, the United States of America, and many more, all with this kind of power.

No, sorry, but humanity is fucking pathetic. How stupid this species is. Isn't it worthless to even continue if we have weapons like this? Because any minute some fucktard on his high throne can say, "Yeah, let's kill everyone, make the past 10,000 years worthless."

Idiocy.